Twin
by AJM233
Summary: What if Emma had a twin brother that had been left behind in the Enchanted Forest? What if he had been found and raised by Cora? There's a brief retelling of the end of 01x01 but the main story picks up at the end of 02x09 (Queen of Hearts).
1. Chapter 1

**AN: This is my first ever fanfic the idea came to me a couple of days ago and I decided that I'd actually write it around 3am so this might be a bad idea. I don't know if this idea has been done before so tell me if it has. Please Review.**

As soon as James left the room with Emma in his arms, Snow felt another contraction. Her eyes snap up towards Doc.

"What was that?" He shook his head.

"It can't be," he mumbles to himself.

"What?" Snow shouts, in pain and scared she just wants to know what was happening.

"Twins," Doc replies almost silently. "Snow, you're having twins." He says only slightly louder but she hears him. Her jaw drops and shuts as another contraction rips through her.

Moments later Doc places a blond baby boy in her arms and leaves to check on his brothers. Snow just sits there staring in awe at the little bundle in her arms. She could have sat there forever just staring if not for the whirling of black smoke picking up speed outside her windows. Carefully trying not to stir the baby in her arms, she rolls off the bed and manages to make it to Emma's nursery.

Before she understands what's happening she moves as fast as she can to kneel beside her husband bleeding on the floor.

"No," She whispers. "No, please come back to me… to us." Snow looks down at her child. "You have to meet our son." She leans down to kiss him trying to wake him but did nothing.

"Oh, don't worry dear," the Evil Queen steps into the room with a flourish of black, "in a few moments you won't remember you knew him let alone loved him." She stops in front of the small family and looks down smiling.

"Why did you do this?" Snow asks.

"Because this is my happy ending," she leans over and her smile widens. "And it looks like the child won't be a problem." Two guards enter the room cautiously through the door behind their Queen.

"We're sorry we let the child escape through the wardrobe." Not looking up they didn't spot the other child in Snows arms that could have saved their lives.

"What do you mean?" the Queen asks. "The things right there." She gestures towards Snow who she now realises is smiling at the wardrobe.

"She got away." She looks up to Regina whose smile has faded, "You're going to lose."

"I don't understand then who's that?"

"This is Emma's twin brother but she's the saviour and she has already gone." Snow looks down and smiles at the two boys in her arms. "Good always wins."

Regina's smile reappears on her face making Snow's waver slightly.

"We'll see about that but there's ones thing you should know before we leave." Snow's stomach drops knowing that something bad will come of the Evil Queen ever growing smile. "Since I didn't know…" she points at the boy with a sneer, "he existed when I cast the curse he won't be included." Her sneer returns to a smile when she sees her enemies face drop.

"No, Regina, you can't leave him here alone please just change it." Snow cries as she holds her baby closer.

"Even if I could, I wouldn't." She steps closer to Snow. "Even if the saviour breaks my curse you'll never see your son again."

The Evil Queen laughs as she looks up to watch the roof be torn off by the black smoke of her curse. The wind howls around them making it almost impossible to hear Snow ask.

"Where are we going?"

"Somewhere horrible," the Queen replies just before the windows smash inwards, a small shard catching the baby's right eyebrow drawing blood, "absolutely horrible, a place where the only happy ending will be mine." The smoke engulfs them transporting them to their new land and away from the crying baby left on the floor.

* * *

He stood watching the fight from the trees staying out of sight as instructed. He'd also removed his black armour and changed into something less terrifying, again as instructed, but still had his sword on his hip. His left hand resting on its pommel and his right running through his dirty blond hair trying to remove the soreness his helmet has caused. He lets his hand drop but as always traces a finger over the scar on his eyebrow.

The commands come from the woman who currently has her hand inside the blonde's chest cavity, she was aiming for another woman's heart, but she would make due. He trusts Cora not to crush it before he can meet the woman and possible crush it himself but what happens next put all doubts of that out of his mind.

A pulse of magic erupts from the blonde throwing Cora away and causing her to land harshly on her back. He'd have laughed in another situation but his escape from this land depends on that portal staying open. He ignores the command ringing in his ears 'do not let them see you until I say, no matter what!' Although the two women have a brief but heated discussion, the raven haired one looking reluctant to leave, they jump into the whirlpool before he has a chance to stop them. He changes his angle slightly and kneels down next to Cora.

"Are you all right?" She slaps his helpful hand away from her.

"Why did you not come to help sooner?" She says standing up without help; anger almost a constant mark on her face.

"But-" he cuts himself off before he says too much but as soon as he opens his mouth it is already too late. Cora's hand raises and so does the blond man in front of her. He doesn't even try to struggle, he will let Cora thinks she has the power until he needs it.

"But…But what, Adam?" She doesn't expect him to finish what he's saying so he replies with what will let him go.

"I'm sorry, I wasn't fast enough." She gives one last squeeze of the air in her grip causing the invisible hold on him to tighten and a whimper to escape his lips before she lets go and turns before he hits the ground.

"We failed." She say's staring at the small body of water before her.

"Really, Cora," Hook joins her. "After all this time why do you still doubt me?" He pulls out something from his coat.

"That bean's petrified, it's useless." She replies as Adam regains his composure and steps as close to her as he dares right now.

"But these water's have regenerative properties. Perhaps it's time to do some gardening."

* * *

Before Adam has a chance to protest Hook's demands of bringing his ship, he was already on board and through the portal. The magic felt different in this new land. It was there but weak it doesn't seem to faze Cora and Hook could never notice but it makes Adam uneasy. He will have to practice a little magic in this world to get used to it.

Hook is standing smugly on deck using his spyglass to watch the ever growing shoreline of their destination. Cora to the right of him watching the horizon and Adam, still angry about her use of magic on him, trying to stay out of her way stood on the opposite side a little further back.

He has wanted to see this place for a very large portion of his life, ever since he'd been able to understand the curse that'd left him behind. Now he was finally here his excitement bubble under his skin waiting to hear Cora's plan of how she was going help him get revenge on the people that'd deserted him. He doesn't speak up though; she'll tell him when he needs to know, as she always has.


	2. Chapter 2

**AN: Okay, so since I'm English I've decided to use the English spelling for things instead of the American because otherwise I would constantly switch between the two not noticing my mistake. Please review.**

The night after they arrive in town Adam is sent to the diner to interrupt a party. Just as he's about to turn into the diner's outside seating area the door opens. He falters slightly and walks forward casually trying to ignore the brunette that was exiting the building. He turns the corner and stops waiting for her to leave. He knows who she is he's seen her painting in her castle when he was exploring the time frozen land. He's always admired the fear she still holds over their land even after being absent for so long. He notices that she's seems to have lost some of her ferocity. _Maybe it's the costume change_ , he thinks to himself. Maybe it's the flustered look.

Adam doesn't dare look around the corner when he hears another person leaving the diner but he knows her voice. He'd heard it a couple of times while he'd been spying on her for Cora.

The voices are loud at first but become faint and he can only hear the occasional word break through. Henry being one of them but he was sure they aren't referring to the Evil Queen's father. They part with the argument being slightly soothed. There was still an uncomfortable angry tone to their voices. Regina walks in the opposite direction from him. He came out from his hiding stopping again to watch his sister as she pauses briefly trying calming herself before returning to the party.

Walking up to the main door he pauses much as Emma did but for different reasons. He takes a deep breath. He's not nervous for the reasons most people in his situation would be nervous for. He doesn't think many if any people have been in this situation before. The meeting his family part he can do. The convincing them of his lies part is another matter. He hates feeling nervous. He doesn't feel in control. It's very rare for him to feel it when not facing Cora.

He hopes they're not as good at noticing lies as he is.

He releases the breath, opens the door, and steps in.

It doesn't take long for all eyes to land on him, but all he focuses on is their smiles. Snow's in particular. He knows that she had been told her son was dead less than a couple days ago. Cora had told them hoping it would hurt them. It doesn't seem to have dampened the party spirit, though. Adam's fists clench at his sides luckily he's pulled back from thought by a voice.

"Can we help you?" Emma asks with slight confusion standing by the counter with a child at her side.

"Erm…" He turns his head back to Snow not taking much effort for him to sound nervous. "I was looking for Snow White." Her smile falters briefly when her eyebrows furrow but she steps forward and away from the man she'd been talking with.

"Do I know you?" The knife twists and her eyes flit over the scar on his right eyebrow.

"No, err well…my name's Adam…Adam White." Her eyes widen, his last name giving it away. "I'm your son." She's been steadily closing the gap between them since Adam stated his last name but now she is right in front of him.

She's oblivious to all the sceptical glares coming from around the room, the most piecing coming from the blonde to his right, although Adam notices he focuses on Snow. She raises her hands to his cheeks. Adam almost dodges before he realises it's not meant to harm. There's too much tenderness in the movement. Her right hand goes higher after a moment and runs over the scar that divides his eyebrow in half.

Her eyes twitch in recognition.

"I was hoping you know how I got it." Her eye's snap back to his when she realises she was staring. She gives him a sad smile.

"A bit of glass caught you when the curse was taking hold." She puts her hand back on his cheek. "Adam," she whispers testing the word. His name sounds foreign to him coming from her but it's filled with an unfamiliar warmth that Adam had never heard accompanying his name before. He doesn't like it though; it brings back pain he'd all but numbed years ago as a child.

Snow smiles and pulls him into a hug, before he can do anything she's sobbing into his chest.

"I'm sorry," she sniffs. "I'm so sorry." Adam stands frozen anger gripping him. What gives her the right to be sad now? She thought him dead moments ago and didn't seem fazed at all.

He shouldn't have come here he's going to ruin the plan if he doesn't hold in his anger. Thankfully, someone brings him back to reality again.

"Snow?" the man she'd been talking to before had managed to step closer while Adam hadn't been focusing. He recognises him from the portrait that hung in their castle back home. Snow breaks away from Adam, holds him at arm's length for a long moment before she smiles, and turns to her prince.

"Adam," she says still holding his left arm, "this is your father." Adam wasn't sure how to greet him so he raises his hand but David pushes it away with a wide smile and hugs him. _What's with all the hugging?_ Adam thinks. Snow joins the hug and Adam has to stop himself from rolling his eyes. The hug would have most likely lasted longer but it was interrupted by the sceptical blonde.

"Wait, slow down, we were told you were dead." They pull away from Adam but Snow still doesn't release his arm not wanting him to be a dream.

Adam lets out a heavy sign. "Let me guess, Cora?"

"Why would she? How did you get here? When did-"

"Emma!" Snow gives her daughter a stern look. "Let him get his bearing first." Emma looks down and mumbles sorry.

"Can I ask a question?" Adam asks and Emma nods. Adam looks at his sister and asks, "Who are you?" He feels the grip on his arm tighten.

He knows that would hurt her, it's one of the reasons he asks, but also because he has to pretend he doesn't know who Emma is.

Emma puts her hands into her pockets looking taken back for a second or two realising she hasn't introduced herself to her brother.

"Oh…umm," she stumbles over her words and looks at Snow unsure of herself, which Adam is sure didn't happen that often. Or at least she doesn't normally let it show.

"This is Emma, your twin sister."

Adam lets his jaw slack slightly and stays silent for several seconds trying to fight back the awkward feeling of staring at someone hopefully making everyone think he's stunned by the revelation.

"Oh…umm," Adam mimics his sister.

Emma raises her hand and Adam hesitates.

"I'm not really a hugger." He finally takes her hand.

"Neither am I." Adam smiles as warmly as he is able to. Emma returns it but only to hide her uncertainty; Adam sees it but none of the on lookers notice. The kid next to Emma nudges her with his elbow.

"Oh," Emma leads the boy in front of her by his shoulders and squeezes gently, "This is Henry, my son." Adam kneels down to look the kid in the eye forcing a reluctant Snow to release her grip. He has never dealt with children, that weren't either running away or hiding behind their parents, before.

"Hello, Henry." His nephew breaks free of his own mothers grip and wraps his arms tightly around his uncle's shoulders almost making them to fall.

"I knew you couldn't be dead," his voice full of genuine happiness. Adam squirms awkwardly for a moment trying to get his balance back before returning the hug.

"I guess the hugging thing skips a generation." Adam hears several chuckles as he releases Henry and looks up to find a weirdly happy look fall over Emma. Henry steps back with the biggest and brightest smile Adam has ever seen as he looks up at his mum.

"Told you so," he beams, causing Emma's smile to grow as she rolls her eyes and pulls him backwards into a half hug her arm over his chest, almost around his neck. Snow returns her hand to Adam arm as he stands, but is now on the other side, and squeezes. Her touch makes Adam flinch ever so slightly but Snow and Emma notice.

There were a few moments of silence until Emma picks up the enquiry again.

"So, how did you get here?" Snow rolls her eyes at Emma and receives a shrug and a silent 'what', but then the attention returns to Adam both curious about his reply.

"I was travelling through the forest when I ran into some people who lived on that island. They'd been out hunting when they'd returned everyone was dead. They told me they'd had Cora locked up and that two strangers had appeared one calling herself Snow White. I tracked you passed a giant bean stork to a lake where I was just in time to see you jump in." Emma's brow furrows again and Adam wonders if that was just her normal face.

"The portal closed as soon as we went through it, so how did you _actually_ get here?" Her tone isn't lost on Adam and apparently Snow because she threw a confused and slightly angry look towards her daughter.

"Hook had a petrified bean which I was able to steal and since Cora had returned the water of the regeneration lake," Adam shrugs. "I took a shot." Emma noticeable relaxes not detecting a lie.

"Hook must have taken it from Anton," Emma whispers to herself. She sees the confusion flick through Adam's eyes and explains, "He's the giant that lives at the top of that bean stork." Adam shows his understanding with a nod.

"Okay," David says stepping forward, "but I thought time stood still over there just like it did here. How are you the same age as Emma?"

"Actually," Adam starts with a slight smile trying to hide the surprise of the intelligent question coming from the prince, "I'm a couple of years younger." His smile widens as more confusion fills the room, he tries to keep the happy darkness out of his eyes. "I was found in your castle when a couple of people that'd been left behind," _like me_ , "were trying to find you," he gestures at his parents. "I'm not really sure exactly what happened but I ended up with a small bit of wood that someone turned into a pendant that was put on a necklace. When I met Cora for the first time, she's told me it was a piece of the wardrobe that had transported Emma. Apparently it'd stopped the curse from affecting me while I wore it allowing me to age normally."

"So how are you a couple of years younger than me?"

"I lost the necklace about three years ago during a particularly rough fight with some ogres." Snow's grip tightens again at the mention of the fight. She is going to leave a mark if she flinches at everything he tells her.

Adam notes how weird it feels telling them the truth for once; he saw no reason to lie about it. Well, except for about who had found him.

"You seem to know Cora quite well." Emma says, suspicious again.

"I've had a few run-ins with her over the years."

"She didn't follow you, did she?" Adam shakes his head.

"No, I don't think so, I can't sense her magic."

"You have magic?" Snow's hand loosens on his arm as she moves away ever so slightly.

"Yes, do neither of you?" Adam asks knowing exactly what their answer is going to be. They shake their head and look at each other then Emma. "Wait, but then how do I? I always just assumed I got it from one of you two. That's how it normally works."

"Emma has magic," Henry states receiving a glare from his mother. He either didn't see it or just ignores it because he continues smiling, "But that's because she's the saviour." That is also why she was the one with no evil in her and the one in the wardrobe. The reason she got the better life, witnessed less death, and caused less.

"Maybe it's a twin thing." Henry adds after a moment of thought.

"Could be, kid," Emma smiles at him.

Adam yawns catching his parent's attention.

"We should probably continue this tomorrow you look tried," David says while Snow nods.

"Yes, I should find a place for the night."

"What? No, you're staying with us," Snow says with an 'isn't that obvious' smile.

"Oh, I," Adam stumbles genuinely surprised by the offer. He's a stranger to them. Why would they trust him to stay in their home?

"Mary, I don't think there's enough room," Emma interjects, confusing Adam more with the name she uses. Emma notices, "When Regina, the Queen, cursed everyone she gave them new names." She points at snow, "Mary Margret," then at charming, "David."

"Oh, is it alright if I stick to your non-curse name? They're the only ones I've ever used."

"Of course," David says smiling, "But my name is actually David. It's a long story I'll tell you later."

"You could always," Snow starts nervously and pause's thinking of how to continue. "You could both always just call us mum and dad." Adam and Emma's eyes find each other's immediately, shocking both of them at how natural it feels looking to the other for help with their parents. "I mean, if you want to. When you're ready know that you can, okay?"

Feeling awkward, they agree that there is enough room if the floor was put to use.

* * *

As soon as they are through the door Henry runs in a grabs his book excited to show his uncle. Next, he drags Adam around the loft explaining what the different things are and how to use them. Henry tries to explain how the lights and electricity works but just ends up call it science magic and moves on to the T.V., which was his favourite. Watching, as Adam can't understand how the picture is displayed.

Adam is standing in the kitchen leaning against the counter watching Henry get ready for bed, after a small disagreement with Emma, when she joins him.

"It's weird, isn't it?" Emma asks with a haunted sound echoing in her voice.

"That is an understatement."

They're silent for a few moments just watching the others move about the loft as if everything is normal and they'd done this routine a million times.

"Did you have any family back in the Enchanted Forest?" Emma asks with no ulterior motive evident in the actions other than getting to know her brother.

"Not really. It was chaotic, no one knew what was going on, and so no one really claimed me. I was just passed around until I was old enough to be on my own, then I left."

"That's pretty much how it went for me as well, but with running water and electricity." They smile understanding each other but both feeling uneasy about the other.

Snow sees them talking and smiling out of the corner of her eye and tugs at David's sleeve getting his attention. They smile warmly watching their children happily interact for the first time.

Adam said he'd take the floor explaining that he was used to it but Emma offers him her bed after a look from Snow and David. Adam tries to refuse wanting to be close to the door but after a while, Henry sets it up for himself and lies down as Emma falls onto the couch.

* * *

Adam lay in bed, an extremely comfortable bed, trying to run through the events of the last couple of hours. He was expecting more resistance. How are they so trusting? Emma seems to be the only intelligent one in the family. He's a good liar but they really should be more suspicious of him.

He thinks about telling Cora where he is by teleporting a note to Hook's ship but she most likely knows exactly where he is. She always does. She has a need to control everything around her. She would use his heart if she could and it surprises him that she doesn't take the pirate's for her own. She must think his need for revenge against Rumple is strong enough for her to keep a hold on him.

Somehow, the thoughts fade and he drifts off to sleep.


	3. Chapter 3

**AN: I've raised the rating to M because of this chapter and I'm sure it will start getting dark. I'm not sure if it's really needed but I'd rather be safe than sorry. Please Review**

 _He ran though the forest dodging trees and leaping over roots. He could hear the armour of the knight behind him as he did the same. How the metal encasing the monster didn't slow him down was impressive but he's still able to gain some distance and hide._

 _"You know I find this fun," the knight shouts followed by a small chuckle. "The hunt is the best bit."_

 _The man clasps his hands over his mouth trying to hide and steady his breathing. He pushes himself further against the tree he's hiding behind so his back was flush with the bark. There's silence for what seems like minutes but is only seconds. Then, he hears metal hit the opposite side of the tree as the knight leans against it, a smile spreads over the knight's face when he hears the man jump._

 _"So," the knight says. "Are you going to be brave and face me or am I going to have to cut you down as you run away?"_

 _"Why?" the man shouts seeing no point in hiding, "Why are you doing this?"_

 _"You know why," the knight replies calmly polishing the pommel of his sword with a gloved thumb._

 _"I needed food."_

 _"Then buy some - hunt some - you don't steal it."_

 _"I have a family," he pleaded._

 _"Good for you. So, are you running or taking a stand?"_

 _"I…I don't have a weapon, it wouldn't be a fair fight." A sword materialises in black smoke stuck in the ground at the man's feet._

 _"How's that?," the knight asks as he makes his way around the tree and stops when the man catches sight of him. The man grabs the sword and raises it. He begins to circle the knight as he draws his blade._

 _The man pauses behind the armour clad monster unsure of himself until he hears a brief and mocking laugh come from within the black helmet. He lifts the sword above his head with both hands and brings it down as hard as he possible can, shouting while the sword cut through the air. The knight spins and effortlessly taps the sword with his own blocking the attack with ease. The move causes the man to stumble after his sword giving the knight the perfect opening but he just lets his arm drop to his side again._

 _The man swings again in an upward motion this time the knight takes a step backwards over a root stopping an inch away from the tree. The man smiles and swings again. The knight lifts his sword and blocks. Both men holding their swords in the position where they met as the man tries to force the knight against the tree, the strain evident on his face._

 _"Come on, you can do it," the knight encourages, "Just a bit more."_

 _Fire burns behind the man's eyes as he adds more of his strength. The knight just sighs at the effort and uses his sword to push the man away before kicking him in the chest. The force causes the man to fly off his feet and on to his back losing his grip on his sword, it flew out of reach._

 _"You're not even worth it," the knight says as he stands over him and places a foot on his neck. "I don't know why I thought you'd be more entertaining," disappointment was thick in his voice._

 _"Entertaining?"_

 _"I was bored and I thought killing a thief would help but there was no challenge here." The man feels the frustration emanating from the knight._

 _"Then please, don't-" his voice is cut off by a sharp force to his neck._

 _"You stole and were found guilty. You shouldn't have asked for trial-by-combat if you couldn't handle it."_

 _"I didn't," the man squirms under the knight's boot._

 _"You picked up the sword."_

 _"Murderer!" the man shouts._

 _"Eh," the knight shrugs as he moves the tip of his blade over the man's heart. "I can live with it," the knight says as he adds his weight to his sword and slowly drives it into the man's chest. He must have caught the man's lung because he begins coughing up blood. The knight lets out an angry growl as blood spatters on to his boot. He removes his foot and his sword then wipes it on the man's shoulder as he twitches._

 _The knight lifts his helmet off his head while he re-sheaths his sword, and runs his right hand through his dirty blond hair. Once the soreness the helmet causes is relieved he allows his hand to drop and lets his index finger trace over the one scar he doesn't know the origin of._

* * *

"Adam," a hand grabs his should jolting him awake and up to a sitting position. He lifts his left hand defensively before pulling back his right and scrunching it into a fist. Once he takes in his surroundings and the startled looking Snow, he allows himself to relax. He normally hears people before they have a chance to get this close. She must have been a good bandit.

"Are you o-?"

"Yes, sorry - reflex." He leans against the headboard and pulls up the covers trying to hide the scars littering his torso but the concern look that is now crossing over Snow's face tells him he was too late. While he would love to make her feel bad about them, he isn't in the mood to explain all the events that had caused them. She'd worry about them anyway, hopefully thinking up scenarios that were worse than the actual truth.

He clears his throat to stop her from staring at the covers scrunched in his fists at his shoulders. Her eye's snap to his again. She either can't bring herself to ask or notices that he doesn't want to talk about them.

"Did you sleep well?" She asks to cover the silence and curls her lips into a fake smile.

"Probably the best night sleep I've had in my life." Her smile becomes genuine but drops, only for a millisecond, when he adds, "This is the most comfortable thing I've slept on."

"Good, uhm…we have to go deal with something important. You should-"

"Anything I can help with?"

"I'm not sure. Maybe you should get used to this world, watch some T.V. you liked it when Henry showed it to you." The word came out soft and condescending as if talking to a child.

"Okay."

She lingers for a second her gaze returning to his chest, mouth opening and closing trying to find the right words to ask.

"Battle scars," Adam says bored with her show of concern. "Nothing to worry about. I'm sure you and Jam- David have a few."

"A few, yes, but-"

"Didn't you say that thing you had to deal with was important?" Snow gets the hint and stands up placing the clothes Adam just now realises she's holding down on the bed.

"These are David's they should fit you." She explains how to contact them using the phone and leaves the loft with David.

Adam is a bit taller and slightly more toned, based on the tight fitting shirt, then his father but the clothes would have to do until he could wear his own again. Snow had decided to wash them last night and he wasn't sure where they had been taken.

He picks up his sword and is about to lop the belt around his waist before thinking better of it. _People in this world don't seem to carry them,_ he thinks to himself. He places the sword onto the bed but slides his knife into his boot.

He searches around Emma's room curious about her but doesn't find many personal items. Much like him, his sister seems to travel light. However, he does find a cardboard box under the bed. Most of it is random stuff she'd picked up over the years of bouncing from family to family but there's also a blanket with her name embroidered on it. He knows this is from his world, Henry had told him about it since the last couple of pages had been torn out of his book. Adam wonders if he'd had one but only for a second, he knows that wasn't possible Snow had told him they hadn't even know about him before he was born.

He returns the box and it's belonging to where he'd found it and goes downstairs to inspect the rest of the loft without being watched. _Not exactly a castle_ , Adam thinks; _how are they all living here together?_ He's not sure how long he'll have to play happy families but he can't live here long without going crazy. He's always had a short temper but last night it had been tested just listening to them. The only thing that'd saved him was trying to concentrate on all the thing he was being taught.

His temper often controls him but Adam has never truly been in control of his life. He used to believe in Cora, trusting in her to make the right decisions for him and he hadn't mind. She saved his life, raised him, fed him, and gave him a home. She's taught him many things he will always remember but she has also physically and mentally tortured him, made his life a living hell. She would often fire him up just to watch him lose control so she could bring him down showing off her strength and teaching him his place. She made him feel powerless. When he was younger, he'd given in to it, that was his life he was used to it, but as he grew, he became defiant.

When he'd gotten older, he began learning how to play along with it. His temper was the hardest thing to keep in check but he eventually found ways to hold it around her and let it out around others. He knew Cora was always holding his strings but he'd slowly been snapping them one by one after too long of believing she was helping.

He is still being manipulated by her but in a slightly different way. Every move he make has to be calculated, deciding whether she will accept it, or not, before he makes it. Everything he says has to be thought out. There are two reasons he'd stayed with her for so long; one, he didn't want to make an enemy out of the most powerful person that'd been left in the Enchanted Forest, two, she had a plan to get him where he wanted to be.

The only moments in his life where he felt he was in control were the ones he spent fighting. Even though every move he made could be his last. He would win if he deserved it, if he fought better. It also made him feel in control of other's lives. He would often not take a killing swing just to prolong a fight.

His magic is always a last resort in a fight with non-magic's. While using it is fun and makes it easier to mess with and control people he only really uses it to heal himself after battle. He leaves the scars though. They remind him of the mistakes that causes them a wrong step, not enough or too much force, underestimating an opponent.

The search doesn't bring up anything interesting but he notices how bright the loft is. Not just the light but the colour scheme, it doesn't seem very Emma or David. Henry had mentioned that Snow and David had been separated during the curse while he'd been flicking through his book showing it off to Adam. _This must have been where Snow had lived;_ he shouldn't have expected anything else. Emma's nursery looked like it would have been the same before the curse and many years of neglect had wrecked it.

He spots a note on the counter with some money and a key under it.

 _"There's food in the cupboards and fridge but the diner's open if you want something else. Lock up before you leave."_

He pockets the money and key before walking over to his parent's bed. He picks up a picture off Snow's bedside table that shows Emma and Snow smiling with their heads together. It didn't make Adam as angry as he thought it should. Seeing how well they got on will just make it more fun to tear them apart.

He returns the picture and leaves deciding he won't find anything interesting in the loft.

Adam heads in the direction they'd come from the night before and realises the streets were just as empty as then. The diner's the same only one customer and a waitress who notices him as soon as he walks in.

"Hey, Adam right?" she asks with a polite smile.

"Yes, you were here last night," he says recognising her.

"Yeah, I'm Red…or Ruby. I'm friends with Snow and Emma."

"Not David?"

"Well yeah, just with Snow and Emma more," she smiles as Adam sits down. "What can I get you?"

He looks up at the menu and makes a face.

"I don't know what any of those words mean." Red lets out a small laugh, a smile lingering on her face. Adam returns it.

"I'd recommend the burger, and I'm sure Henry would too, but I can make you something that you'd be more used to if you want?"

"No, a burger's fine, thank you."

She places the burger down in front of him when it's done, and pours him some water.

"Can I get you anything else?"

"No, thanks," he says looking down and pausing.

"It's good, trust me," Ruby says noticing his hesitation. He nods smiling again a takes a bite.

"You shouldn't have doubted me." Red says when his smile widens.

He chats with Red while he finishes his food. They mostly talk about the town and what it was like during the curse but Red also tells him about what happened this morning. After a moment of silence after the last chip disappears, Adam opens and closes his mouth trying to find the right words.

"They're good people." Adam looks surprised for a second before smiling.

"They seem to be."

"I would give my life for any of them. Trust me, they're good."

"And I shouldn't doubt you, right?"

"Right," they smile at each other as Adam pays. He asks for directions to the police station and gives Red one last smile before exiting the diner. He removes the smile as soon as he's out of sight of the window.

* * *

Snow stands at the window watching Regina get interrogated by her family while she herself was being watched. She doesn't feel the eyes inspecting the ever so faint reflection of her face in the one way mirror. _Is she worried about the Evil Queen?_ Adam thinks to himself as Snow's brow creases and a frown taints her lips.

He walks up beside her; she still doesn't notice his presents.

"So, that's the Evil Queen?" She jumps.

"Regina, yes," her brow creases even more.

"Red filled me in when I got some food at the diner," he says before he asks, "Was he your friend?"

"Archie was everyone's friend."

"Do you think she did it?"

"She's defiantly capable and she's done worse." She looks at Adam apologetically but turns back to the window before she thinks he catches it.

"David seems to think she's guilty."

Snow signs, "Henry believes in her, he's going to be crushed when he finds out."

"Maybe it's better that something like this happened sooner rather than later."

"What do you mean?"

"Not that someone died, it's just the less time he doesn't think of her as the Evil Queen the more hope he'll have that she'll change. The more hope the more pain when she proves him wrong."

"Hope doesn't work like that. You can't just turn it off and on."

"No, but events can."

Before Snow can reply, Emma and David exit the interrogation room both looking tired.

"Adam?" Emma says surprised.

"Ruby told me what happened. I came to see if I could help. There's magic here now I don't want her to hurt any of you."

"It's okay, we're letting her go."

"What?" Snow and David shout in unison.

"She didn't do it," Emma says. "We can't just keep her locked up."

"You really believe her?" David asks.

"I watched her when we told her Archie was dead she didn't know," Emma explains to her confused looking parents.

"Emma, I know that you want to believe Regina can change for the sake of Henry but-"

"I know what I saw. Look at her in there." They do. "The old Regina would have reduced this building to ashes. That's a woman that wants to change she just wants everybody to see it. I know that look. I know her…I believe her."

"With all due respect," Davis says, "you don't know her like we do."

Adam doesn't say a word. Regina has to lose everything. They need to turn against her but if he pushes them to that decision and find out she's innocent Emma's eyes will defiantly turn to him.

"Maybe that's the problem. I know in your kingdom she was the Evil Queen but here she's Regina. I'm still the sheriff I say she's innocent until proven guilty."

"S-so," Snow stumbles, "What do you suggest we do?"

"Like I said, we let her go."

"Emma-"

"We let her go and then we find the truth."

They stand in silence watching Regina in the wake of Emma's decision. Adam's probably in the most shock. _They're just going to let her go?_ he thinks, _even though she is innocent in this instance she is guilty of many other things._

Emma notices Adam's fists clench at his sides. She understands. She knows Regina is the reason they haven't had a family but for some reason she doesn't blame her as much as she probably should. She's almost thankful to her. Regina's the reason Henry exists and has had a stable home. She's part of the reason Henry is who he is today and Emma wouldn't change him for anything. Regina also hurt him but if he can forgive her for that so can she eventually.

"What do you think, Adam?" Emma asks.

"Oh," his fists unclench, "I don't think I have a say."

"You can have an opinion about it." Adam puts his hands in his pockets and shrugs while he shakes his head.

"I've only ever heard terrible things about her, that she probably is guilty of, but if there's no evidence for this crime then…" he shrugs again showing his agreement with Emma who nods.

Adam stays out of the way when Regina is released and she barely blinks at him as she passes.

They go to Dr. Hopper's office to search for clues and find Regina's file empty. Emma, still not believing in the lie, concludes that Regina is being framed, and convinces them to continue the search by talking to Rumplestiltskin.

* * *

Emma storms into Rumple's shop family in tow, interrupting what looks like a picnic for him and a younger brunette woman.

"Ah," Gold says, "Nothing warms the heart more than a family reunited. You have your mother chin, Miss. Swan," he looks at Adam, "And you have her eye's, Mr. White." They look at him confused. "News travels fast in this small town."

"We know that you killed him!" Emma States not caring that one if not the most powerful and evil beings ever, with magic, is the one she's confronting.

"And your fathers tact," Rumple retorts surprising Adam. _Has everyone mellowed?_

"Someone's dead?" asks the woman behind Gold in an accent Adam doesn't know.

"Dr. Hopper."

"Why on earth do you think I had anything to do with that?"

They argue for a few moments while Adam stays silent watching them interact. _No love lost there,_ he thinks to himself. Why doesn't Rumple just kill them? He could do it so easily. One wave of his hand. Dead. His gaze turns to the woman behind Rumple. Is the Dark One in love? Can a heart as dark as his must be still love? If he can, why can't Adam?

Eventually, David leaves to retrieve the doctor's dog. Rumple explains that they can use magic to extract the memories of the animal causing a small smirk to pass over Adams lips, _clever_.

"Why should we trust you? Couldn't you just as easily use magic to fool us?" Emma asks.

"Because I'm not going to be the one using magic. You are." He points at Emma.

"Me? How?"

"You have it within you. Told me yourself," he says walking over to a cupboard. "You witnessed it didn't you?" he asks Snow.

"Emma, you don't have to do this Adam can-" Adam opens his mouth to accept but Emma beats him to it.

"It's okay I want to try," she says casting a quick unsure look over her brother. _She doesn't trust me._

Emma has trouble at first but when Adam offers to help, she refuses and tries again. An image comes into view in the dream catcher showing Regina being greeted by Dr. Hopper as she enters his office. The dog barks as Archie walks away but the doctor quietens him before he reaches his filing cabinet. Regina speaks causing the doctor to jump when he realises how close she'd gotten to him. He starts to say something but before he gets a chance to finish, the Queens hand is around his neck. Snow gasps and turns away burying her face into her husband's shoulder. Emma drops the dream catcher just after Regina lifts Archie into the air by his neck. She turns to her parent.

"You were right all along," she says.

She leaves the shop without a word to Rumple and her parents do the same. Adam follows slower but before he's out of the door, he's stopped.

"You feel it, don't you?" Rumple asks with a smile. "That source of evil." Adam turns his head enough to see Gold out of the corner of his eye.

"Which one?" he asks.

"To get Regina!" Emma says loudly as he exits the shop.

They argue about how to approach the situation. Emma wanting to blindly charge in stating she has magic. David reminds her so does Regina and that she actually knows how to use it.

"Well, we have Adam."

"Whoa, hold on," Adam raises his hand. "If she is half as powerful as her mother I'm not sure how helpful I'll be trying to cage her here."

"What do you mean 'here'?" Snow asks.

"I'm self taught and I'm not used to the magic in this world. I can't count on it," Adam explains causing Emma to throw her hands up in exasperation.

"Then why did you even come to the station if you can't rely on it?"

"Emma calm down," Snow interjects. "We just need a plan first."

"We need a way to contain her magic while the dwarfs construct a jail cell that can hold her."

"Fairy dust!" Snow exclaims. "Leroy said they were processing a new batch of it."

* * *

Regina opens the door expecting an apology while a little confused at the sight of Adam.

"I saw you do it," Emma doesn't beat around the bush. Regina's confusion turns to the other blonde.

"What?" she asks.

"I saw it. You choked the life out of Archie."

"What are you talking about? How is that even possible?"

"Magic," David answers.

"You-"

"I saw what happened and it was you." A realisation hits Regina.

"Gold," venom thick in her voice, "He helped you. You're going to trust him over all people when he's probably the one behind this?"

"We didn't trust him," Snow says. "That's why Emma used magic instead." The amount of love Snow put into Emma's name made both Adam and Regina sick.

"You can use magic?" Regina asks, surprise echoing in her voice. Emma just smiles in response. "The saviour of course."

Adam tunes out while inspecting the mansion the Queen gave herself. He hears them in the distance whining about the price of magic and Henry. Of course, she would give herself a nice big house and leave Snow in that shithole. He would have done the same. He just wises that, now he'll probably be living there for a little while, she'd been a bit more generous.

He's snapped back from his thoughts when he has to move out of Emma's way with Regina following her.

"Do it!" Emma shouts the command and blue Fairy jumps out from behind a tree to throw a blue orb of swirling magic at Regina. Adam almost smiles when she catches it but manages to keep his composure.

"Did you really think that would work again?" she asks Snow and David before tossing the orb at their feet making them dodge. Regina turns back to Emma.

"You," she says, "You will not take my son from me." She pushes the air in front of her and Emma goes flying down the path landing hard on the ground. Snow runs after her to help her up.

"So much for fairy dust," Regina stalks towards Emma. "Maybe some of your new found magic can save you now."

"I don't need it, I already won," Emma says triumphantly. "There's no way Henry will swallow your lies about Archie now. You can pretend all you want but we know how you are and who you will always be."

Regina is stunned into silence for a moment before raising her arms as black smoke engulfs her. Adam raises his hands pretending to try to stop her with magic and drops them with a sigh when the smoke clears and she's gone.

* * *

Emma paces on the opposite side of the street from the bus stop waiting for Henry. Her parents and brother watch as she thinks, Adam curious about the entire set up with Regina, Emma, and Henry. It couldn't have been a coincidence that the Evil Queen ended up being the one to adopt the saviours son.

Adam has barely been following the conversation - which he should probably stop doing - but gives them as kind a smile as he can fake when David finishes his speech with "…We're a family."


	4. Chapter 4

**AN: My last year of uni starts next week and I'm not sure how regularly I'll be able to update after that. However, I do tend to spend a lot of time procrastinating instead of doing my assignment's so I might end up working on this more. Please review.**

Emma had asked Gold is she could borrow the dream catcher. He asked why but she didn't want or know what to tell him. He seemed surprisingly uncaring about not receiving a reason or something in return. Emma just left with the item before he changed his mind.

She hid it under her jacket before she enters the loft but everyone is already asleep. She creeps up the stairs to where her brother has stolen her bed. She mimics what she'd seen Rumple do with Pongo. When the catcher begins to glow, she turns and makes her way back into the stairwell. When Adam hears the door close, he rolls over and shakes his head. _If you're going to sneak up on someone, you should at least be quiet_.

Emma isn't sure what she's looking for the first time she'd done this she'd thought of a time, place, and the people involved. Now she has no timeframe and no place, only a person. Actually, changing her mind, she does. She focuses on Adam, the enchanted forest, and the time roughly before he'd shown up. But it doesn't matter; Adam had only given her one memory. The image begins to play.

* * *

 _Adam has never been here before. Well, that's not, true he'd been born here._

 _The castle has been wrecked by the curse but the time it's sat untouched hasn't helped it either. He knows it probably isn't safe as soon as he lays his eyes on it, but he finally has a chance to explore it and he isn't going to waste it._

 _He ties his horse to a tree before entering the castle. He thought he'd feel something. Anything. Longing, remorse, sadness, but he's just empty. He's indifferent to his surroundings. Maybe if he had memories of this place, his family, it would be different._

 _Maybe._

 _He makes his way through the castle, avoiding the dodgier looking areas and heads up to the private quarters. He finds what he guesses had been his parent's room. It looks bleak but he can tell it hasn't always been. He goes to the window and checks the sturdiness of the balcony. Not thinking it'd collapse he steps out._

 _They would have stood here surveying their land. It would have never been his. It would have gone to his sister but he could have done something about that. He technically owns it now. He's the only living Charming in this world. Too bad, there are almost no living residents either._

 _He wonders how they ruled. Most recall them as great leaders the whole five seconds they were in charge. But he prefers the Evil Queen's method. He hates the woman but she handled things pretty well. Her only mistake was not being able to kill his mother. With Snow's death, Regina would have most likely ruled until her own and with the use of magic it would have been a long and fear filled reign._

 _He comes back in and notices a portrait of his parents. He takes it down and stares at the faces he's never seen before. A kind of anger he's never felt towards them before builds in him. He knows it's irrational. His parents hadn't left him by choice. They didn't even know he existed, or at least never told anyone they were having twins. But he can't help but blame them. Maybe it was all the poison laced words Cora had used when talking about them and Snow's parents._

 _He launches the painting against the wall and throws a fireball at it. He goes room to room using fists and magic to destroy anything he can get his hand on._

 _He enters the last room and stops dead._

 _He's destroyed all the other rooms on this floor and this is the only nursery he's seen. One crib. They really didn't know about him until it was too late. He falls to his knees unable to stop himself. He wants to burn the whole place down. Remove it from the world and leave a nasty looking scar in its place._

 _But he breaks._

 _Tears start to fall and he can't stop them. The anger remains but most of it turns to pain that he can't stop. This isn't how it should have been. Cora should not have raised him his parents should have. He should have memories of them teaching him how to ride, how to fight. He should know his sister. Even if he'd hate her for being older, he should know her. He should have had anything but this._

 _Anything but the life he's had._

 _Anything but the painful loveless life he's been forced to live._

 _He feels the most painful shortest pain in his chest as his heart finally breaks. He stops crying, the anger fades, and the pain subsides._

 _And the last bit of love he has left vanishes._

* * *

Emma stands frozen in the stairwell. She understood. If they hadn't been on a time sensitive mission, she probably would have gotten angry and destroyed a couple of bits of furniture as well. She knew she couldn't blame her parents, it wasn't their fault the curse had been enacted. Well, not entirely. But they had decided to send her away so that she could save them. It meant that she'd been able to have Henry and break the curse but it also meant that she hadn't been with them. Her life has been horrible as a result of their choice.

It hurts.

And it hurts watching her brother hurt.

* * *

Adam doesn't attend the funeral; one, because he doesn't want to, a bunch of people standing around crying didn't sound like much fun, and two, because he wanted to help with their beloved doctors interrogation, which sounded a lot more fun to him.

It isn't though. He cracks at the mere suggestion of violence. Knowing nothing about the dagger, but does he give them the name Belle.

"Brown hair? Weird Accent?" Adam asks while Hook's hook is pressed against the cricket's forehead.

He goes to nod but quickly thinks better of it, "Yes."

"How do you know her?" Hook asks Adam.

"She was at Rumple's shop. They did seem quite friendly."

"Why are you doing this?" Dr. Hopper asks Adam as he's about to leave.

"You had information we needed," he smiles, "And I was bored."

"But your family. Are you even who you say you are?"

"Yes, I'm one-hundred percent Charming," he spits the last word.

"Then how can you do this?"

"Did you not listen?" Adam leans in close, "I was bored."

* * *

Adam takes his time getting back to the loft trying to memorise the layout of the town but also to avoid the wake. He can fake many emotions but having to act sad and sympathetic all the time is frustrating. He can't understand the difficulty they were having accepting he was gone.

He runs into Emma when he finally decides it's safe to return home.

"Where are you going?" he asks.

"I need to get something."

"Can I help?" She wants to protest but can't pass up the chance to learn more about her brother.

"Sure."

After Emma explains what they're doing, an awkward silence settles over them.

"Just ask," Adam finally says, "I know you're dying to know something."

Emma sighs, "What was it like growing up there? I mean, I was only there for a short amount of time and I almost died several times, you must have had somewhere safe to live."

"Once I was old enough to be on my own I never really had anywhere permanent to live. I was always travelling. I went almost everywhere."

"What about the ogres?"

"Eh," he shrugs. "I almost died a couple of times, before I started learning magic, but it was a fun challenge."

"You're crazy, aren't you?" Emma asks. "Almost dying is a fun challenge." Adam lets out a short chuckle.

"You have to find ways to entertain yourself when you don't have a T.V." Emma shakes her head with a small smile on her lips.

They get the dog from Marco and on the way back talk about Emma's life in this world. She doesn't go into must detail but Adam can feel the pain emanating from his sister as she gives as brief a description as possible.

"Do you blame them?" Emma asks, "Mary and David, I mean."

It catches Adam of guard and he opens and closes his mouth a couple of times. He realises the question comes from the memory he'd given her, and he sighs.

"A little," he shakes his head, "I know I shouldn't, it's just there. Do you?"

"A little."

They walk in silence the remainder of the way and the rest of Emma's questions are pushed to the back of her mind.

Pongo manages to break free of Emma's grip, push the door open, and jump onto Snow's bed in-between Henry and David.

"How did he get in here?"

"We brought him," Emma says with a smile as they enter the loft.

They discuss the logistics of owning a dog in the crowed loft while Henry takes him out to wash him. After deciding they need a new place, Snow and David go to the diner to look through the paper for listings.

Henry and Adam sit at the table while going through Archie's story. Henry, with a sad smile, tells Adam all the extra details he can remember from what the doctor had told him. Adam is on the verge of leaving when the door opens and a familiar face appears.

"Archie!" Henry runs over to him and hugs him. Archie barely notices the small boy, all of his focus on the man before him. Adam wavers but quickly regains his composure. He looks over at Emma and she has her eyes glued on the doctor. He turns his head back and looks the man straight in the eyes, smiles, and runs his thumb across his neck.

"Archie?" Emma asks, "Where have you been?"

Dr. Hopper understands the threat and responds to Emma. He explains that he'd been kidnapped by Cora and man with a Hook. Henry's ecstatic that it proves his mum is innocent and begs Emma to help him go look for her to tell her the good news. She's reluctant at first, not wanting to leave Archie alone. The cricket says he'll be fine, that he'll go stay at Marco's so he won't be alone.

"Let me drive you," Emma says.

"I'll walk him," Adam offers, "Go look for Regina."

"I don't-"

"Please, Emma," Henry begs, practically dragging her out the door.

"Okay, call me when you get there." And they're gone, leaving the two men alone in the loft. Adam goes and shuts the door after checking Emma and Henry are far enough away.

"Please, don't kill me." Adam sighs, shaking his head as he slowly walks over to the doctor, who's taking a step away for every one of Adam's forward.

"You were safer on the boat," looking at him with mock disappointment.

"Please."

"I'm not going to kill you."

"You're not?"

"No, it would just make me look suspicious and Emma already doesn't trust me."

"Then what-?" Archie's back hits the counter cutting off the rest of his question.

"Magic is a very useful thing to have." Adam places his hand on the doctor's forehead, hard, and whispers a spell.

Archie shakes his head, after Adam removes his hand, and gives him a confused smile.

"Are we going to Marco's then?"

* * *

Adam stops by Hook's ship on his way home. He finds the man leaning over the edge spitting blood into the water.

"I hope you have a fucking good reason why the doctor just walked into the place I am currently living in with my family."

"Shorter sentences, please, my head is pounding." Hook spits again.

Adam walks over to him.

"Oh, I'm sorry," he grabs the man's dark hair and slams his face into the wooden rail. "Why is the cricket free?"

"Rumplestiltskin's girl showed up and freed him. Now let me go."

Adam repeats the movement and then releases him.

"You realise what you've done. That man could have ruined everything if I hadn't been there."

Adams eyes glaze over and fists clench as he stalks over to Hook. He collects the lapels of the man's jacket and lifts him off the ground.

"Let go of me." Adam throws him onto the deck as hard as he can.

"What does it matter? We didn't need him anymore." Hook tries to reason with the already gone Adam. He kicks him in the stomach with as much force as possible.

"You didn't but I did." He kicks him again before straddling the wheezing man. Adam uses his left hand to pull him close and his right to knock him back down. "I will be the one to break their hearts." He finishes his sentence with another punch.

"Adam," Cora says indifferent as she steps onto the ship. "Stop, before you kill him." He ignores her and repeats his pulling and punching process again. Cora swishes her hand through the air forcing Adam to fly off the pirate and across the deck. He stands about to attack but is able to stop himself just before he takes a step. He breathes in deep and walks over to the barely conscious Hook. Kneeling beside him, he holds his hand just over the man causing him to flinch. Adam ignores him and lets the magic flow into and then out of his hands, healing the damage he'd just done but no more.

"Couldn't help out a little more?" Hook asks receiving a sneer.

"Don't press your luck."

Adam tells Cora what has happened and explains that he only managed to block the memories and didn't have enough time to make a memory wipe potion to remove them.

"You could have been working on that now, but instead you decided it would be a better use of your time to attack an ally." Adam looks away and tenses expecting a crushing force to envelop him. But it doesn't. "So, until you remove his memories permanently you have to be careful not to trigger any of them."

He nods, and leaves realising how long he's been gone. He heals his hand, which had been split by Hook's face, and removes the blood from his clothes before he gets to the loft. He doesn't leave a scar this time. It wasn't his mistake.

He plans to sneak out tonight however before he gets a chance Emma receives a call about an accident at the town line.


	5. Chapter 5

**AN: Sorry I couldn't update sooner I was ill and Uni has started getting more intense so I don't know when the next update will come sorry again. Please review I'm really trying to improve my writing so any tips or pointers will be much appreciated, thanks.**

Adam is bundled into Emma's squad car before he can even think of a good enough excuse to try to get out of helping. Henry's dropped off at Granny's after a short lived argument.

"Henry, you're staying here and that's that," Emma commands before getting back into the driver's seat and pulling away.

Adam isn't sure what to make of the car. He's sure Emma is driving faster than one normally would. The motion isn't helping either making him unable to think about a permanent solution to his doctor problem. He needs to find time and resources to make a forgetting potion without his family being suspicious of his absence.

As soon as the car stops, his parents exit the car and run straight to the aid of Belle. Emma calls for an ambulance, explains the situation, and points Adam over to the crashed car before going over to the pirate.

"There's someone in here," Adam shouts.

"How bad?" Emma asks as she checks Hook's ribs.

"It hurts," the man says.

"I wasn't talking to you, but your ribs are broken. Adam?"

"He's breathing but barely."

"Can you heal him?"

"I can stabilise him, maybe, but I don't dare do anymore just in case."

"Okay, do what you can."

Adam's busy dealing with the driver but hears a commotion behind him and turns his head to see Rumplestiltskin using he cane to choke Hook. Adam turns back to the driver smiling. He finishes what he's doing just as the paramedics show up and take over.

"Do you know this man?" Adam asks.

"Never seen him before," Snow answers.

"That's because he drove into town," David adds.

"From the outside?"

"Looks like the world just came to Storybrooke."

* * *

When they get to the hospital, everyone's confused, and Gold makes a scene trying to see Belle before being silenced by a doctor smelling slightly of alcohol.

Adam only manages to sneak off when everyone gets distracted by the new guy's phone although he almost walks into Emma's line of sight when she leaves Hooks room. He slips in when she turns a corner.

"Two fuck up's in one day, bravo, pirate," he spits the words at Hook as the man tries to pick his handcuffs.

"I hurt him that's all that matters." Hook tries to smile but winces when he realises it's a mistake. "A little help," he says jiggling his imprisoned hand.

"You can manage," Adam shakes his head. "I should have killed you earlier."

"Why not now?" He gives himself a small cheer as he unlocks the cuffs.

"I wouldn't push it if I were you." He sighs, "What did she ask you?"

"Where Cora was."

"Did you say anything about how you got here?"

"She didn't ask but she asked about you."

"What?" Adam snaps.

"Asked if I know anyone call Adam, I said no but-"

"She can tell when people are lying."

"Is that a creepy twin thing or something?"

"Leave before I snap your neck," Adam looks at Hook his eyes starting to glaze over warning him to leave and he does almost tripping in his rush. Hook has seen him kill people for less.

Adam almost flips the bed and screams but thinks better of it not wanting to draw attention to the pirate's now empty room. He calm's himself with deep breathes. _I can still hurt them_ , he thinks, _Emma won't tell them without proof_. From what he'd seen, she was all about the evidence.

He almost feels relieved. He could just get it over and done with and begin to cause them the same amount of pain he's had to endure. Plus, living with them was giving in a headache. Even after 'losing' a friend they were still extremely optimistic and cheerful. No one should smile as much as his parents do. Snow is also extremely clingy with him, staying with him as long as possible. He enjoys his freedom after barely having it for most of him life and now this woman won't let him out of her sight unless she's distracted, which hardly happens.

He wasn't sure what to do. He was too angry to think of a plan. His mind redirecting its power to his imagination, images of his hand wrapped around his blade's handle as he plunges it into the pirates gut.

Shaking his head he decides that best thing to do is get a second opinion about his situation. Black smoke engulfs him as the teleports to where he guesses Cora will be.

* * *

"If Gold won't help then Adam can try," Snow suggests.

"I don't think we can count on him."

"What do you mean?" David asks. Emma wants to tell them what she was thinking but she isn't sure, she has no evidence. She can't hurt them without knowing for sure. She doesn't want them to doubt her. Hook could just know him like Adam knows Cora, there aren't that many people left in the Enchanted Forest. But why would he lie about knowing him? She wants to be wrong but she doesn't trust Adam. As far as she can tell he hasn't lied to her but she can't shake the feeling something's wrong.

"Just that his magic is unreliable here." They seem to accept her answer. "Where is Adam anyway?"

"I'm not sure," Mary says looking around. "He was just here."

"I'll go find him, can you handle things here?"

"Of course," David says puffing out his chest slightly. Happy he can play prince again.

"I'll help you." Mary Margret moves towards Emma.

"Actually, could you go look after Henry?"

"Oh, sure...Emma, are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm just worrying about Cora."

"We need to get to Regina before she does, those two together is a bad mix."

* * *

Adam appears standing at Regina's open door.

"Cora?" he calls as he steps in.

"What are you doing here?" she asks walking gracefully down the stairs.

He explains what's happened as she stares at him with a blank face.

"And now you look guilty by disappearing." He hadn't thought about that. He can't do anything right around her.

"Emma knows. I can feel it."

"No, she suspects, you've just made it worse."

"She's never trusted me."

"Maybe she _feels_ it," she mocks. "It doesn't really matter anymore I know where Regina is and we have all the information we need. We'll just have to bring my plans forward."

He'd expected her to be much angrier. He's angry. The relieved feeling he'd had earlier was gone, he wants to be there when they find out their son is helping the enemy. Is the enemy. But he knows it was never his revenge that mattered to her.

She takes them to the graveyard and transforms into Henry as Adam uses magic to retrieve his sword. He feels naked without it. Cora notices and shakes her head knowing how attached he is to it wishing he'd been as interested in learning magic as in swinging a piece of metal. The judging look felt strange to Adam. Seeing it come from the boy he's only seen as understanding.

When they reach the mausoleum, Cora tells Adam to wait outside she can sense her daughter. She carries on and calling out 'mum' before Adam hears something open. Adam only hears the occasional mumble of the mummy/daughter conversation but is able to make out his name when he's eventually called down into the vault.


	6. Chapter 6

**AN: Sorry for the random update times. I would blame it on uni work but it's just me being lazy and watching TV.**

"I've seen you before," Regina says when Adam comes into view. "You were with the Charmings at the police station and my house."

"Regina, this is Adam. He's Snow's son." The look of confusion and shock that played over Regina's face made him smile.

"I'll leave you two to get acquainted there's something I have to do," Cora says while smoke envelops her and she's gone before either of them can object.

"What is she up to?" Regina asks still staring at the spot where her mother had been standing.

"I have no idea but she will probably say she is doing it for you."

Regina's confused gaze returns to Adam and looks him up and down with a judging look, _not too different from her mother's,_ Adam thinks.

"Why are you helping her?" Regina asks confused as Adam walks over to a chair and plops down crossing his leg over his knee. "What about your family?"

"They have been my family for all of 2 seconds, thanks to you. I owe them nothing." Adam gives Regina his own judging look but if fails in comparison. "Why are you helping her? From what I've heard she made your life almost as miserable as mine, with a little help from my mother."

Regina doesn't answer instead she moves in front of a mirror and starts to wave a hand before it.

"It won't work." Ignoring him, she tries to bring up an image of her mother but nothing happens. "She knows you like to watch through mirrors, so she's protected herself from it."

An agitated sigh leaves her lips and instead she brings up the image of Henry with a smiling Snow at Granny's.

"Wow, look how well your curse worked. Snow looks so unhappy," Adam taunts.

Regina's jaw clenches as she forms a fire ball in the open hand.

"How dare you mock me?" She throws it at Adam who simply waves a hand turning it to smoke.

"Forgive me, my Queen," he says with a grin giving a seated bow. "Oh, I'm sorry. Should call you Madam Mayor, now?"

Regina grits her teeth as she walks forward and leans over Adam entering his personal space. Her lips quirk up into a sneer, as she looks him dead in the eyes and says, "You say you're here to help but all you do is taunt me."

"I came in here expecting to do more than just taunt you but, while I do blame you…I can't find it in myself to hate you." He shakes his head and lets out a short laugh. "Cora seems to have screwed me up more than I thought."

She keeps her eyes locked on his, "She does that to people." Regina gives him one more look then turns back to the mirror following Henry's movements. "Do you think she'll try to hurt him?"

Adam releases a heavy sigh then says, "I'm not sure." He stands up and walks closer to the mirror. "She won't hurt him to keep you on her side but she won't hesitate to use him against my family."

Regina nods as if she already knew the answer to her own question then turns to face him. "Will _you_ hurt him?"

"I have not decided yet." Her eyes narrow and he just smiles. "But I probably won't. I kind of like him." She gives him an uneasy look but returns her gaze to the mirror without saying anything.

They watch Snow walk Henry back to the loft. He asks about what's going on and Snow gives him a cut down version of events leaving out the new addition to the town. Adam wonders if Snow would have talked to him like this. Leaving out relevant information just because he were young, trying to save him from adult problems. He doesn't like that. If events would affect him, he should be told.

Then a thought hit Adam.

"Do you by any chance have ingredients to make a memory potion?"

* * *

Adam sits on the bench looking out over the ocean as the sun rose. He was waiting to be found. He wasn't completely sure what he was going to say when someone did eventually stumble upon him but he had always been good at coming up with lies on the spot.

He'd thought of going back the loft straight after making the potion and force feeding it to the good doctor but the he couldn't stomach dealing with Snow at that moment. He needs space and some time to relax. Cora always had him busy doing something or other and while this wasn't quite the freedom he wanted, he would take what he could.

Snow's affection and worry was suffocating.

"Have you been here all night?" Emma's voice draws Adam's attention after noticing her presence several meters away from him.

"No, I went looking Cora," he says casually.

Emma moves around the bench and sits down hard next to Adam staring at him as if he were crazy.

"What? On your own? Did you find her?" The barrage of questions was impressive considering how tired she looks.

"No, I did not find her. Why would I not look for her on my own?" He turns to her confused. Emma seems taken aback by the question.

"Well…because…you just should asked me to help. We don't have to do things on our own anymore." She shakes her head. "Wow that sounds weird."

"I like doing things on my own."

"So do I but if I ever need to take on a powerful evil witch I know I don't have to do it on my own." They're silent for several moments both realising that they're not alone anymore. Adam wasn't sure what to think about that. He knows the offer will disappear as soon as they find about what he's planning.

"How's everyone from the town line accident?"

"Alive," Emma says with a sigh that was a weird mix of happy and sad. "Belle lost her memory, Gold's pissed, Hook's missing, and David just texted me before I spotted you saying the guy in the car's gonna be fine."

"Hook's missing? Did you leave him with his hook?"

"No, I'm not gonna make that mistake again. He managed to pick the lock on his cuffs."

"Well, he is a pirate."

"How much do you know about him?"

"He's Cora's pet," which is ironic since that's what Hook calls Adam, often getting himself thrown across a room. "She sends him from village to village torturing people that have managed to avoid ogres." Again ironic since that is what Adam used to do although Hook often helped. "I have had a few unpleasant encounters with him. He will most likely turn up around the docks somewhere. The man seems to be obsessed with boats."

"Probably the whole pirate thing," Emma says.

They fall back into silence again content to just watch the waves rise and fall. They're like this for a minute or two until Emma starts to fidget with her hands.

"Would you like to ask me something?"

"Uhm… Snow told me and David about all your scars." Adam looks down, _of course she did_ , he thinks.

"And?" he asks returning his eyes to the ocean.

"Did Cora give you any of them?"

"A few," he replies not looking at her.

Emma waits for him to elaborate but when she realises he isn't going to she says, "We should go home Mary-Margret and David are worried about you. She keeps texting me asking if I've found you." They stand and Adam picks up his sword that has been leaning up against the bench and loops the scabbard's belt around his waist.

"You brought your sword to a magic fight?" Emma asks noticing it for the first time.

"It's enchanted." He pauses trying to think of a way to explain it to a non-magic/inexperienced magic user then just decides to show her. "Look," he says forming a fireball in his left hand then throws it into the air. He uses the time it was in the air to draw his sword then when the fireball falls, he swings at it with his sword hitting it out into the water. "It deflects all magic."

"Yep, that would be useful in a magic fight."

* * *

By the time they get home, after Emma stops off at the hospital to talk to Greg Mendell, Snow and David were making breakfast for a very tried looking Henry. He jumps off his stall and starts bombarding Emma with questions about the new guy. David had obviously told him since Snow was giving him a disappointed look while he just shrugged. Snow walks past the two that were now discussing Frankenstein and straight to Adam.

"Where have been? I've was worried." She wraps her arms around causing his body to stiffen briefly by the abrupt assault.

"I just went looking around town," which wasn't really a lie so Emma couldn't pick up on it. Snow moves back but keeps both hands on his upper arms holding him in place.

"You need to tell us when you do something like that," she says as if she were talking to Henry.

"Why?" He looks down at her confused. He's never had anyone worry about him before. "I've never had to tell anyone where I was going before." Cora can always find him anyway so there was no point. Adam had just been stating a fact and wasn't expecting the sad look that washes over her features but it made him happy he could hurt her without even trying.

"Yeah, Mary-Margret, he's an adult," Emma says taking his side. "He doesn't need to tell his parents where he's going." Adam wasn't sure why she was taking his side. He knew Emma didn't trust him, so why was she giving him a way to leave whenever he wanted without question?

"I know, it's just you're new to this world and with Cora here we need to be careful."

 _So this is what it would have been like having Snow White as a mother growing_ , Adam thinks to himself, _I would have gone mad sooner if that was my life_.

Before the conversation can continue there's a knock at the door and is opened as Adam walks towards it.

"Gold," Emma says walking towards him, "We've all had a long night."

"You remember that favour you owe me, Miss Swan?" Rumple asks ignoring her.

"Yeah."

"I'm cashing it in."

David walks around the counter towards them stopping closer to Emma them trying to protect his little - fully grown - girl.

"It's not a good-"

"You do honour your agreements don't you?" he asks cutting her off. "I need to find someone so we're leaving today. Pack a bag."

"Leaving?" Snow asks moving closer.

"Where?"

"Wait, find someone. Who?"

"My son. It has to be today because every minute I'm here is another minute closer to me killing Hook." Adam immediately wants him to stay, then he could just blame the pirate's brutal murder on murderous Dark One. "So it's really best for all concerned if I leave, and you're gonna come with me. Oh and uhm we have a long history," he says pointing towards everyone but Adam, "So know this and know it to be true if any harm comes to Belle while I'm gone I'm killing all of you. I'll see you at noon."

He goes without saying another word leaving them standing together shocked as Adam stands slightly off from them, happy he was finally able to see the Dark One in his element. Collecting favours and threatening people lives, _maybe he hasn't gone soft after all_ , he thinks.


	7. Chapter 7

**AN: Wow, I got this chapter done surprisingly quickly. Probably because it's pretty short. There's a bit of father-son bonding in this one, hope you guys enjoy.**

There's a very brief discussion about whether Emma should actually go or not and then another on whether Henry should go with her. Adam considers saying he should stay because then he could get him to Regina but decides it would be safer for him to be as far away from Cora as possible. He doesn't even think about going with them himself until Emma mentions it but Snow shots the idea down before it even has a chance to take form. She states it's because Adam can help them find Cora but the way she constantly hovers around him makes him and Emma think differently.

Emma and Henry are packed before Gold arrives at noon and they leave after a brief goodbye. Adam needs to spend the day keeping his parents busy while Cora did something that she wouldn't tell him about, which was frustratingly on par with the rest of his life.

"So, what are we doing today?" Adam asks. Regina had been by earlier in the day to tell them what they already knew about Cora setting her up. She was annoyed they let Emma take Henry but Adam explained it was the best move to keep him safe. Snow didn't help though saying that Regina didn't have a say in what happened to her son.

"We should look for Cora. We need to stop her from doing whatever she has planned," David states as if he could actually stop her himself.

"She is impossible to find if she doesn't want to be found," Adam says. "I've tried many times back home."

"Plus, even if we did find her what would we do?" Snow asks. "She won't exactly come quietly."

"We probably should have asked Gold for something that'd help us before he left."

"What about Hook?" David asks.

"If she still needs him, she will make him just as hard to find as herself, especially after what he did to Rumple and Belle."

"Maybe we could just enjoy the quiet while we can," Snow suggests gaining a smile from David.

"If we can't find them and don't know how to stop them then why not," he adds to his wife's idea.

"But what if something happens?" Adam asks confused about their relaxed attitude and trying to get out of spending time alone with them.

"We have our mobiles. If anyone needs something they'll just call us."

Before Adam can do anything, Snow and David are making sandwiches and packing a basket for a picnic. Adam was starting to see a pattern. He had no say in whatever was happening. If he said an outright 'no' they would ask why and he couldn't exactly say, _'because if I spend too much time alone with you I will end up killing you without making you suffer like I want to'_. He tries to convince them to just go to Granny's; witnesses would make him think twice about doing anything detrimental to the plan but they brush it off stating 'it's too nice a day to spend inside'.

They walk to the park where they set down the basket and lay out a blanket. Adam removes his sword he just now realised he is still wearing. It is a part of him and he often forgot it was there, even while resting his hand on its pommel.

"How good are you with that?" David asks watching him.

"I'm good enough to keep myself alive," he says drawing it and giving it a quick swing. "I've never really been taught properly so I've just had to pick stuff up along the way." The pirate is a relatively good sword fighter and Cora had employed some of the Evil Queens black guard that had been left behind. The guards had taught him to use his strength while Hook taught him to use his speed and agility. There'd been brief lessons though as Cora preferred him learning magic and often had him off doing something away from the castle. Cora had actually been the one to teach him how to read peoples body language not realising that he was using the information more during fights than in conversations.

"I could always show you a few moves," David says. "I would now but my swords at home so maybe soon."

"Whereabouts at home?" Adam asks.

"I put in the closet to keep it away from Henry, why?" Adam waves his hand and David's sword still in its sheath appears in his hand. As soon as he does it, he regrets it. The smoke that brought the sword is a very dark, evil grey. But if they notice it they don't let on.

He hands it to David but before he can even draw it Snow says, "After you've eaten, please," giving David a look that Adam didn't quite understand. The fully grown man sits down almost straight away and accepts a sandwich from his wife. Adam follows suit.

There's an awkward silence while they eat and when the conversation does start, it's far from the personal, heart to heart Adam knows Snow had been expecting. They talk about the town and then what it had been like during the curse. Red has already told him some of what they discuss but he finds out that Regina had made it so Snow was alone and David was married to someone else. He would have to complement on that idea her later. Seeing how close the couple are, he would have done the same thing to try to make them miserable. _Maybe that's what I_ will _do when it's time_ , he thinks.

He keeps a pleasant smile firmly in place and his hands unclenched in his lap while an uncontrollable ball of anger forms in his stomach with every word spoken by them. It was everything he could do not to just lash out and burn them alive. Motherly acts making him feel sick. He has never felt this strongly towards anything or anyone in his life even before visiting his family castle where he's felt virtually numb ever since. He didn't even hate Cora this much. _I wonder if Regina was ever this crazy_ , he thinks.

Adam notices that Snow fidgets the same way as Emma does when she has an awkward question she wants to ask. But unlike with Emma Adam wasn't going to relieve Snow of the burden. If she truly wanted an answer, she was going to have to ask the question without a prompt. However, just as she seems to have gathered enough courage, David stands up his sword in hand.

"Okay, let's see what you can do," he says completely oblivious to the eyes burning into him as he smiles at his son and removes the blade from its leather sheath.

Adam smiles and does the same throwing his scabbard on to the blanket and follows David to a spot slightly away from it. They start gently knocking each other's sword then gradually putting more strength and speed into their swings. Before Adam knew it, they were almost in an all out fight, Snow gasping every other move.

Adam is in complete control.

He can kill him.

While David is a good fighter, strong and fast, he doesn't put much thought into his next move. He isn't reading his opponent's body language. He wasn't using it to plan his next move. He also moves too much, his movements not efficient enough to be able to keep up a good pace in a long fight.

Adam sees how tied his opponent is and decides to end the 'play' fight. He knocks David's sword away and the force removes it from his grip. David stumbles backwards in surprise and trips landing heavily on his back. Adam then points the tip of his blade to Charming's neck. He notices the fear in his father's eyes before he feels the dark grin on his lips. He switches his sword to his other hand and extends his now free hand to David while trying to replace the grin with a friendly smile. The man on the ground hesitates briefly before taking the offered hand and standing up.

"Sorry," Adam apologises trying to sound as genuine and possible, "I'm normally fighting for my life."

"Oh, uhm, it's okay," David says wiping down the back of his trouser trying to act as if it wasn't fazed at all.

Snow walks over to them and asks if they are all right.

"Yeah," David says giving her a shaky smile. "But it looks like Adam might be showing me a few moves instead."


	8. Chapter 8

**AN: So you guys wanted more hatred for his family, more** **l** **ove for Cora, and something to happen with Regina hmm…**

 **(Just a warning there's a bit of abuse in the opening flashback)**

 _Adam couldn't breathe as the magical force around his chest lifts him up the wall causing his feet to dangling a metre or two off the ground. Cora standing before him her arm outstretched with anger evident on her face. Hook behind her watching with a small smirk on his face._

 _"I asked you to do one thing and you disobeyed me," Cora shouts at him._

 _The pressure increases and several audible snapping noises ring out through the room, which would have been complimented by a scream if Adam could breathe. Instead, a sharp, strangled grunt leaves his lips as he grits his teeth and his face contorts in pain. Hook's smirk drops as he visible winces before turning away and leaving the room quietly._ Coward _, Adam thinks._

 _"I would rip out your heart if it would do me any good," Cora sneers at him through gritted teeth before dropping her arm heavily to her side letting the blond fall violently onto the hard stone floor. The impact causes a painfully shout to escape him as his torso twists and his ribs shift. Adam's hand instinctively goes to his chest about to heal the brakes before Cora walks towards him._

 _She kneels in front of him, using a gentle hand to move his hand away and the other to raise his chin bring his eyes to hers. She smiles apologetically at the teenager and says, "I'm sorry, dear. You know how angry I get when you do not do as I ask."_

 _While her hand stays under his chin forcing eye contact, the other moves to his ribs and adds a slight pressure that causes Adam's body to stiffen. Slowly, magic began to flow from Cora's hand through his chest. Adam notes that the pressure is not needed but says nothing. He grunts through gritted teeth as bones begin snapping back into place and fusing together._

 _Cora places a light kiss on the top of his head before smoothing his hair back to where it should be, "You need a haircut, dear," she says and rises, leaving him on the floor trying to stop himself from shaking._

* * *

Adam wakes to muffled voices downstairs. Dressing quietly he moves to stand and listen to his parent's conversation at the top of the stairs. He discovers it's his mother birthday and breathes a sigh of relief when it she leaves the loft in a hurry forgetting about him. He descends the stairs and David begins to move awkwardly around the kitchen when he spots him.

"Is Snow not eating?" Adam asks as he takes a seat at the counter.

"No, she has someone to see." David doesn't elaborate and Adam doesn't press having heard the name Johanna before.

David doesn't eat and quickly moves to the door stating he has to work and says goodbye while closing the door behind him. _I probably shouldn't of scared him yesterday_ , Adam thinks as he turns back to food that'd been left behind shrugging, _but it was too fun to deny myself_.

* * *

He stops by Regina's house ready to help with the next part of Cora's plan. He teleports himself straight from the loft to the back of the mansion, then knocks on the window startling the brunette in the kitchen. He gives her a half smile as she storms towards the back door ripping it open, using her body to block Adam's way when he moves to enter.

"What the hell do you think you're doing? There is a _front_ door."

"And if someone was to see me knocking and you allowing me in, what would my parents say?" Adam asks then his face grows innocent his eyes wide as he adds mockingly, "They always taught me to stay away from evil Queens."

She growls before asking, "Who's to say I would let you in?"

"Does my charming smile not allow me automatic entry?" he asks, his fake smile moving back into place.

"No, plus it reminds me too much of your father's."

Adam moves his hands over his heart and fakes a wince. "Ouch, low blow, Madam Mayor."

"Is that Adam? Let him in, dear," Cora calls from somewhere upstairs.

She moves out of the way letting him pass and he gives her a polite 'thank you' while removing his jacket. He lays it on the counter to Regina's annoyance and then leans against it.

"I still don't understand why you're helping. From the familiar scars on your arms," she says pointing at Adam bare forearms causing him to roll down his shirt sleeves, "You should hate my mother."

"Oh, I hate her. I really do. She's physically and mentally tortured me my entire life." He sighs, shakes his head, and then with a far off look in his eye adds, "I should hate her, but as much as I tell myself I do… I can't. She saved my life and raised me. Never threw me away and taught me everything I know."

"I understand."

* * *

Adam departs quickly after finding the spot empty of the Dark One's dagger leaving mother and daughter to come up with the next stage of the plan while he gets some food. Digging is hungry work. He removes the mud from his boots and jeans with a flick of his wrist before entering the diner.

Adam is a little disappointed not to find Red behind the counter. He'd planned to flirt with her again before his secret is out; she's far too loyal to go near him after.

He manages to get halfway through his meal before he hears his name being called out behind him.

"There you are we really need to get you a phone," Snow says worry obvious on her face as she walks towards him.

"What's going on? Is something wrong?" Adam asks looking at his food longingly as he pushes it away.

"Regina and Cora are working together to find the Dark One's dagger." David walks up behind Snow eyeing Adam cautiously.

"What? Are you sure?"

"I saw them in the woods talking about it."

"Was Hook with them?" Adam asks curious about whether his mother saw him helping.

"No, they were on their own." Adam lets out a sigh of relief trying to hide it as annoyance. _She must have stumbled upon them after I'd left_ , he thinks to himself.

"He was at the station though. He managed to knock me out and take his hook."

"I've tried calling Emma to warn Gold but I couldn't get through. I'm gonna talk to Regina and try and make her see sense."

* * *

Adam stands next to Snow watching the fairy fail at getting past Rumple's protection spell on his shop. She drops her wand in pain and it clanks on the floor. After Snow's heart to heart with Regina failed - obviously - Adam had "tried" to get into the shop before hoping they would give up but instead they called Blue.

"You're right, Adam; he's cast a protection spell." Blue tried to shake the sting out of her hand.

"Well, then we need to try something equal powerful."

"Dark magic?"

"Dear, you don't know what you're saying."

"Cora can't get that dagger. If dark magic is the only thing that can break that protection spell we need to make an exception and use it." Snow turns to Blue Fairy, "Just like you told me once before."

"I never told you any such thing," Blue says giving Snow a confused look.

"I kept your secret," Snow says in a hushed tone as David phone rings.

"Everybody, hold on," David reaches for his pocket. "Emma, he told you where it is?" he asks turning to look up at the clock tower.

* * *

Adam enters the lift first against his will. _First in last out_ , he thinks when its doors glide open and David runs from the lift first with Snow and Adam behind him.

David jogs up the stairs to the platform and finds the dagger behind one of the clocks hands. "It's here. Clever hiding place for a clever man." He removes it and hands it to Snow.

"We did it." She holds the blade out in front of them, the curvy metal shining at the edges.

"The Dark One can finally be controlled." Adam is about to reach for the dagger when he is interrupted by two additions to the cramped space.

"Indeed he can be," Cora adds as her and Regina poof onto the platform making Snow jump, "But by whom?"

"Cora," Snow and Adam say in unison disdain leaking from the word. He would have had the dagger by now if she hadn't butted in.

"Ah, Adam, it's been a long time," she says with an evil grin.

"You're too late," David says moving forward to protect his family.

"Actually, it seems that we've found you just in time."

"I told you to pick your side carefully," Snow looks at Regina with disappointment. "Good has won just as it always does."

Cora lets out a light laugh, "I think the day has finally come, my darling Snow, for you to learn a long overdue lesson." Cora raises her hand and a short plump woman appears between her and Regina in a cloud of purple smoke.

"Johanna," Snow breathes out at the sight of the scared woman.

"You see in the end it isn't good or evil that wins but power," Cora's smile grows at Snow's discomfort.

Regina reaches into the woman's chest plucking out her glowing red heart leaving her groaning in pain.

"Your choice," Regina says holding up the heart for Snow.

"Do not harm her. She has nothing to do with this."

"Of course she does."

"Whatever they want Snow, don't give it to them," Johanna says trying to be brave.

"Quiet, handmaid," Cora snaps.

"Mother watch out," Regina says warning Cora of the gun David is drawing and about to aim at her. She simply waves her hand and the gun fly's from his grip clattering down to the floor below the platform.

Regina squeezes the heart causing Johanna to call out in pain.

"Enough of this; surrender the dagger. We all know you'll follow your mother's example no matter the cost. All she ever wanted you to do was be good."

"Those words, where did you hear those words?" Snow asks.

"Where do you think?" Cora asks slightly bored with the conversation.

"The Blue Fairy told me to never speak of that candle again, not because it was a secret, because it wasn't her."

"The dagger dear," Cora holds out her hand out to Snow.

"She didn't give me that candle, you did." Snow looks at Johanna realisation sparking in both of their eyes, "My mother wasn't sick at all, was she?"

"Oh, she was quite sick."

"You did all this. You killed my mother."

"Actually, the candle would have worked. You could have saved her"

"But you knew I wouldn't. Why? Why did you take her from me?"

"To make my daughter the Queen," Cora shrugs gracefully as if it was the most obvious answer in the world.

"Hand over the dagger," Regina commands after throwing a brief confused look at her mother.

"No. No, I will not let you win. Not again."

Snow fidgets in place confused by everyone telling her what to do and angry with herself for not being able to decide. Her grip tightens on the dagger and Adam steps closer to her.

"Mum, give me the dagger," Adam whisper into Snow's ear while moving to place his hand over hers on the handle of the blade. "I can keep it safe, I promise." She hesitates but he realises it's just from him calling her mum. She releases her hold of the handle and Cora's smile grows.

"Ah, Adam, good boy," Cora says in her best motherly voice. "Would you kindly hand me the dagger, dear?" The heads of the confused Charmings snap around to face their son making him laugh.

"Of course, Cora," he says budging past Snow to stand next to the woman who raised him. He flips the dagger in the air catching it carefully by the blade before offering it to her.

"Adam, what are you doing?" Snow asks as Cora takes it from Adam.

"What I came here to do." He turns back to Cora, "Are you sure I can't kill them now?"

"Yes, I'm sure."

Snow still seems confused but David's face is starting to show realisation.

"They did come through the portal with you," David says quietly and mostly to himself.

"Adam, come back over here… Please, come back to your family." Snow moves forward reaching out for him before being pulled back by Charming.

"Do you not understand?" Adam asks with a mocking laugh. "Cora is my family. She raised me, which is way more than you've ever done for me." He shakes his head, speechless as Snow try's to move towards him again, and again being stopped by Charming. Adam turns to Cora, "Is that everything?"

Regina places Johanna's heart back into her chest and she stumbles towards to the couple holding each other.

"Not quite everything," Cora says before nodding at Adam. He raises his hand and flicks his wrist as if swatting away an annoying fly the force of his magic sending the plump woman flying sideways and through the glass before falling to her death.

Snow and David rush towards the window before turning around in horror to face their son.

"Happy birthday, mother," Adam smiles before vanishing in a cloud of dark grey smoke followed by purple leaving David holding a crying Snow by the broken glass of the clock face.

 **AN: How was that on the parents and Cora front? And as for Regina… I may have something planned for her and Adam later… :) And sorry if the mass of canon dialogue towards the end annoys anyone.** **I normally prefer to skip over it but didn't feel like I could this time.**


	9. Chapter 9

**AN: Wow, okay uni suddenly got super busy. The deadlines kinda just snuck up on me and I have so much to do but I thought I deserved a break after nearly a solid week of programming so here's a new chapter, hope you enjoy :)**

Snow kneels beside Johanna's grave placing dirt around the delicate, white flowers planted on top. She slowly stands and David moves a hand to her shoulder gently patty her and trying to sooth her.

"It was a beautiful service."

"That never should have happened," Mary-Margret says before taking a deep breath and releasing it. "Johanna was an innocent and our son killed her."

"We can't blame ourselves. You did the best you could do in an impossible situation."

"Of course I can blame myself, I practically handed the dagger to Cora."

"You couldn't have known he was working with her."

"You knew…you knew something was wrong. The way you looked at him after you two spared, you looked scared of him."

David looks down. He can't deny the bloodlust he'd seen in his son's eyes as he held the tip of his sword to his throat but he'd said nothing. He didn't think Snow had noticed anything off. He should have said something.

"I can't believe my baby boy killed her." The tears finally broke through, her knees went weak, and she almost fell. But David caught her, as he always did, and held her tight. "He didn't even seem to care. He was smiling!"

"Maybe Cora had his heart. Maybe she's controlling him," David offers trying to calm Snow but he doesn't believe it. She sniffs and regains her footing still gripping Charming's jacket.

"Yes, that has to be it." She smiles briefly but her forehead creases in confusion and she shakes her head. "Wait, no, he has the same magic as Emma and when Cora tried to take her heart it repelled her."

David sighs but a thought hits him and he almost winces. "Gold said that it was love that caused Emma magic to protect her heart. I don't think Adam has ever experienced love."

Mary-Margret begins to sob into the crook of her husband's neck. "I'm going to kill her for what she's done to him."

* * *

Adam is lying on one of the sofas in the mayor's office silently listening to the discussion between Regina and Cora. Cora having decided to become the Dark One seems to have shocked Regina. He sits up when the older woman leaves and looks over the back of the couch to look at Regina staring at the door.

"Well, who could have seen that coming?" he asks sarcastically trying to lighten the mood. But when she turns to look at him, all he sees is fire in her eyes. "Sorry, I just thought that development was really obvious."

"Get out!" Regina orders sternly as she turns and places her hands flat on her desk.

Adam gets up but walks towards her instead of the door. He studies her silently. When he used to imagine the Evil Queen, he hadn't pictured this. He had seen paintings of her in the Dark Place when he was young and he'd honestly felt slightly scared. But here she was crumbling in front of him. He hasn't felt the need to help anyone since he has a child but here he was trying to think of a way that he could comfort the woman.

"I don't know what I'd do if I lost him," the brunette says in all but a whisper.

He walks closer, moves his hand to place it on her shoulder but stops, and lets it fall back to his side. He sighs and says, "I know there isn't must I can do but I'll try to keep him safe. I promise"

She looks up at him confused but nods and releases a breath she didn't notice she was holding. "Thank you."

* * *

David and Snow exit their truck and rush over to the small group of people at the dock.

"Are you okay?" Snow asks.

"Yeah. Yep, we're alright," Emma replies as she finishes tying the row boat to solid ground.

David helps Rumple over to the truck where he leans against it as Mary-Margret greets her daughter.

"Where's Adam?" the blonde asks as she breaks their hug and repeats the process with Red.

Snow opens her mouth to answer but closes it and looks over to Charming, then Ruby who is looking at the ground, before meeting Emma's eyes.

"We don't know. Cora has his heart." She clenches her jaw trying not to start crying again.

"Wait, What? Since when?" the blonde asks confused trying to meet someone's eye but they all seems to be avoiding her gaze. "Mary-Margret?"

The brunette releases a shaky breath before saying, "Apparently she raised him so I don't know how long."

"So this entire time he was lying to us. Why couldn't I tell?" she asks no one in particular and no one answers. She didn't expect anyone to know anyway. She looks back at Snow. "Are you sure she has his heart?" The woman looks back at the ground before meeting her daughters gaze.

"I can't not believe it after what he did."

"What did he do?"

* * *

Adam watches as the mother daughter duo conjure a large fireball between them and throw it at the shop, removing the protection spell and blowing in the door. Standing waiting for them are the three Charming and a new face Adam doesn't recognise.

He draws his sword as he walks in behind Regina and Cora. He lets his gaze linger on each of his family members, shaking his head when Snow tries to move towards him before stopping herself. He finds Emma eyes last and gives her a charming evil smile before twirling his blade in his hand.

Emma opens her mouth to reason with him but the smirk he's giving her tells her it would be useless and if her parents were right, and Cora has his heart, there was defiantly no point even trying. So she turns to Regina.

"Regina, think about what you're doing," she tries.

"Don't talk to me," Regina replies shutting down the conversation.

They stare at each other for a few tense moments before Regina makes the first move forming a fireball in her hand and throwing it at Emma. David jumps in-between and intercepts it using his sword to slash through it causing it to dissipate into nothing. Regina counters by throwing him full force out the door.

"David!" Emma calls.

Cora is about to slam the door shut before Adam stops her.

"I got him," he says following the path the man's body made out the door. Adam watches as his father staggers to his feet as he grabs his sword off the floor and backs up into the road.

"Adam, don't do this."

"Why? Because you don't want to hurt me? I think I can handle a little sparing between father and son."

"No, Adam, because you'll regret this when your heart is returned."

"Oh," he chuckles, "You think I'm doing this because Cora's controlling me with my heart. Sorry, but no. I'm doing this for fun."

Adam swings his sword hard at David's head but he blocks it bring his sword up just in time. Adam swings his blade again and again adding more force as the other blond takes unsteady steps backwards. The metal clashes become louder and louder as David's movements become slower. Finally, he stops when Adam drives him to his knees and knocks his sword out of his hands.

"Adam, please…" the man on his knees begs breathlessly as he looks up at his son.

"Adam, please," he mocks. "You're fucking royalty act like it. Oh, wait, I almost forgot. You're just a Sheppard in over his head." He moves the tip of the blade to his neck.

"I'm your father."

"Fathers don't leave their child behind to die alone in an empty castle. But I won't kill you…" relief washes over David's face, "Not yet. I want you all to die as a family. I want you and Snow to watch as your son kills your little girl. I want Snow to see me rip the heart out of your chest and slowly crush it." Adam smiles at the horrified look on his father's face before bringing the hilt of his sword crashing down into the side of the man's head and knocking him unconscious.

He stands over him for a moment trying to calm his breathing. He playfully runs the tip of his sword along the man's neck before turning away and walking back to the shop. Regina opens the door nearly running into him.

"Protect mother," she commands and leaves before he can ask where she's going.

He enters to shop with a confused look on his face and sees Cora trying to break through another protection barrier. "Cora, where is-"

"Adam, come help," she snaps at him, cutting off his question. He lets out a frustrated breath but joins her by the doorway and raises his hand but when he attempts to break the magic, a shooting pain runs up his arm.

"Ow," he shouts through gritted teeth drawing his hand back. Adam has felt pain many times before, physical and metal, but never pain that feels like it ran through his magic. "Who cast this spell?"

"Emma." Cora looks at him but never lowers her hand. "Her magic must counter yours."

He sighs and silently stands there, uselessly flexing the pain out of his hand while Cora tries to bring the barrier down by herself. She looks at the name on the dagger slowly fading and doubles he efforts. The spell fades soon after.

Adam moves to follow her into the back room but stops when she raises her hand.

"Wait out here. This is something I have to do on my own." He hesitates but nods knowing that refusing her request would have been pointless. So he stays in the front waiting patiently for something to happen so he has an excuse to kill someone. But nothing happens until Regina returns looking flustered but determined.

"Where-" he cuts himself off when he sees what she's hold in her hand and his eyes widen. "Is that Cor-" This time she cuts him off when she lifts a finger from her free hand to her lips.

When she's close enough she whispers, "Do you want her to feel love?" He creases his brow in confusion but nods after several seconds of stunned silence and Regina just walks past him into the back. She sneaks up behind her mother and places the heart back where it belongs.

Cora drops the Dark One's dagger she had been holding above her head ready to plunge it into the Dark One himself. She gasps in pain, grabs her chest, and stumbles back to look at her daughter. She smiles a real smile, one that reaches her eyes. Adam has never seen that before. Regina returns the heartfelt smile and Adam stares at her in awe. He's never seen her smile like that before either.

"Mother."

Cora begins to walk towards her daughter but stumbles, smile vanishing from both their faces leaving Adam confused with an odd empty feeling inside him. Cora falls into Regina and she gently lowers her to the floor keeping her in her arms. Adam moves to the other side of Cora and falls to his knees beside them.

"Mother?"

"Cora?"

Worry evident in both of their voices.

"What's wrong?" Regina asks trying to find any visible reason for her mother's sudden turn before looking into her eyes.

Cora reaches out and takes Adam's hand in her own, "I'm sorry, Adam," she says before turning to her daughter. "You…You would have been enough," Cora whispers before closing her eyes.

Adam fell back to sit on his heels still staring at Cora's peaceful face. He's seen death before. But this was different and he couldn't find the words to describe why. His free hand moves to his sword about to draw it on Regina, but when he looks up, she seems as confused about what's going on as he is.

"Mother? What's going on?" Her head snaps around to look up at Gold directing the question at him. When he says nothing she turns back to her mother, tears starting to fall as she shakes her gently. "Mother, don't leave me, please," she pleads. "What am I gonna do?"

Adam wants to do something, say something to help but he doesn't know what to do or even why he wants to stop the woman across from him from crying.

"Your mother did you no favours."

"Shut up! You stole her life. You cast some spell."

"I did nothing," he says simply with no emotion.

"Regina, stop!" Snow shouts as she runs into the back room, stopping instantly when she sees Cora's lifeless body in Regina's arms as her son holds the dead woman's hand.

"You did this!"

And Adam finally knows what to do next.

 **AN: I really appreciate all the follows, favourites, and reviews and if you have any ideas or questions feel free to leave them in a review or PM me I don't know when but I should reply.**


	10. Chapter 10

_Adam quietly peeks through the open doorway into Cora's room hoping not to disturb her. He sees her sitting at her vanity, as she often does before going to sleep. He knocks on the door and she motions him over as she closes the small box in front of her. Adam runs in smiling and skids to a stop beside her, receiving a disappointed shake of the head._

 _"You are royalty act like it," is the response he normally gets when acting like the child he is, but she says nothing and he guesses/hopes she's in a good mood for once._

 _"What's in the box?" He points to the small wooden chest on the vanity receiving a sharp slap on the hand. He draws it back to his chest and holds it in his other hand looking down trying to avoid the woman's stare. Cora reaches down, grips his chin roughly, and forces his eyes to meet hers._

 _"Something that is very precious to me that you are never allowed to touch. Do you understand me?" the harshness of her voice sinking into his soul as he reminds himself never to touch the box._

 _He frantically nods his head making his hair flop out of place._

 _"Adam, if you ever touch this box without my permission I will lock you down in the dungeons and this time you will not be coming out."_

 _"Yes, Cora, I understand," he replies trying to stop his bottom lip from wobbling. She sighs and her whole demeanour changes as she kindly smiles at him before smoothing his hair back into place. She reaches for him and he almost flinches before realising she wants to pick him up so he raises his arms for her. Cora places her hands under his armpits and lifts him onto her lap to face the box._

 _"This, my dear Adam," she says lifting the lid, "Is where I keep my heart." He goes to move his hand to touch it almost forgetting the newly placed rule Cora, and he himself, had set for him but quickly places it back into his lap._

 _"Why is it in a box?"_

 _"To protect myself, it is in here to keep it safe." Cora has recently tried to remove Adam's heart to make sure he stays under her control as he grew, but had been stopped by strong magic. Finding out she couldn't control him her behaviour towards Adam has changed slightly. She had more patience with him. "One day soon I will teach you how to remove a heart from someone's chest."_

 _"So I can keep it safe?"_

 _"So you can control them."_

 _"Can I practice on the pirate?"_

 _Cora chuckles and smiles down at the small boy in her lap. "We'll see."_

 _Adam smiles in response and once again realises that Cora is in a good mood and asks, "Can you tell me the story again?"_

 _"Again?"_

 _"Pleeease," he begs showing her a wider smile knowing that if she had said no it would never have persuaded her to change her mind but she has already decided on her answer._

 _"Fine," he shifts on her lap, places his head on her chest over where her heart should be, and closes his eyes. "Once upon a time there was a beautiful princess that was destined to be the queen and to do so she had to save the life of a horrible little girl…"_

* * *

"You killed my mother," Adam whispers but everyone in the room hears.

Snow isn't sure what hurts more: the pain and hatred in Adam's eyes, the fact that she's just tricked Regina into killing her own mother, or Adam calling Cora mother.

He draws his sword as he stands and moves towards Snow, his eyes becoming glassy.

"You killed my mother!" he shouts this time.

He levels the tip of his blade with Snow's heart and backs her up until she hits the wall. David moves into action trying to get his son away from his wife but Adam just raises his free hand and Charming goes flying backwards.

"Sorry, Charming, looks like the plan has changed," he says without looking away from Snow who's just staring at him with a pained confused look creasing her brow.

"A-Adam, what are you doing? She can't control you anymore, you're-"

"She was not controlling me to begin with," he cuts her off annoyed at the conclusion his family seems to have drawn. "As I explained to your loving husband, my heart is firmly in my chest." He moves his free hand to rest over his heart while the other shakes with barely held in rage. He doesn't even try to steady it as he holds the sword towards his mother.

"B-but how…"

"'But how' what? How could I do this to my family?" He shakes his head clenching his jaw. "Because you are _not_ my family," he shouts before calming himself and letting his natural neutral expression to etch itself on his face and dead tone, which he never allows anyone to hear, to leak out of his mouth. "You lost that privilege when you left me alone to die."

He drops the sword to his side before sheathing it. He hides his pain as normal does, by showing the fake smile that seems to be constantly plastered on his face lately, but this time there's a new manic look in his eyes. "I have always preferred killing people with my sword in a fight," he says resting his left hand on its pommel. "But I think Cora would have liked me doing this in a slightly different manner."

In one swift motion, Adam plunges his right hand into Snow's chest, grips her heart, and rips it out causing her to let out a pain filled shout.

Snow's eyes flick between her heart and Adam as he smiles. She hadn't realised how much pain her son has been in. And it isn't just Cora's death that prompted the empty look in his eyes. Looking back at their time together, she should have noticed it. She should have put it all together every time he jumped slightly at her touch, moved back from his family during conversations, and the scars that litter his body. She should have said something. Maybe if he had felt able to talk, to share, he might have realised that Cora is not his mother.

Snow is!

And Snow has to make her son feel better anyway possible.

"Just do it… kill me."

Adam looks at her shocked for a second before snapping out of it with a mock pout. "Oh, that's no fun. I thought there'd be a bit more torture before you begged for death."

"If this will end the death and make you happy… then do it." Each word that leaves her mouth brings her pain. All hope has left her. This is all she could do. "Please, kill me. It's what I deserve."

"You really want to die?"

Snow looks between Adam and Regina, who's been watching the entire exchange from the floor still cradling her mother in her arms, and releases a shaky breath.

"Please…"

He debates her words for a moment, the smile leaving his lips as he thinks. When he was younger, he would have done anything to be standing here in front of his mother holding her heart in his fist but he always pictured her begging him to stop. She would always be begging to stop the death after watching Adam destroy the rest of her family before her eyes.

A single moment of pain and then nothing or as many moments of pain as he can possible inflict on her and then freedom, his death or hers.

"No." He shakes his head and looks back at the body of the woman who'd raised him in his mothers absence. "No, I will not let you off that easy." Adam, for the first time, looks at the heart he's still holding tightly and his smile returns before letting out a manic laugh to match the look in his eyes. "And anyway, I think things are about to get a lot more interesting."

He raises her heart for her to see the damage she's done to herself.

"Look at that." She sees the black spot swirling amongst the sea of crimson and gasps. "I wonder if this is new or if this started before…"

His smile grows at the sobs she releases as she begs again. He roughly shoves her heart back in her chest.

"I will make you suffer for what you have done and when you beg for death again it will be because you have nothing left to live for, I promise."

 **AN: Hope you enjoyed and that you liked Adam's reaction. Sorry it's such a short chapter after such a long break, but school mixed with writer's block is to blame. I love reading your reviews so keep 'em coming. Oh, and Adam's about 6 or 7 years old in the flashback in case anyone's curious.**


	11. Chapter 11

**AN: Sorry for the long wait and the super short chapter, I had to develop an app for school, which was interestingly frustrating. Just a heads up, I did very little editing on this chapter so… yeah. Hope you enjoy, here's an angry, broken Adam.**

Adam stares at the mirror focusing on his eyes. He'd noticed as soon as he saw her face, and his sister's, that they have the same eyes. He's glad that they're the only aspect of him that he shares with her, accept maybe a blackening heart but he knows that his heart is much blacker than hers is. It defiantly was the last time he saw it. He does despise the resemblance to his father though; his jaw line, his hair colour. Now he can't look in a mirror without being reminded of them, at least the paintings he'd seen back home had been too accurate and hadn't shown the resemblance as much.

He can't describe the pain.

The emptiness it leaves.

Cora had not been the perfect guardian, not by a long shot, but she had been there. She had given him a home, food, knowledge. He knows that his parents had no choice in giving him up, while it was partially Snow's fault for starting the feud that led to the curse she didn't cast it. Regina did but he can't hate her.

Years of punishment for saying anything against Regina had conditioned him to protect her.

Years of positive reinforcement for saying anything against Snow had conditioned him to hate her.

He knows this in the back of his mind but he won't allow himself to bring it forward. The only thing he allows is: if they had known about him, what would have happened then? Would they have sent him through the wardrobe? No. Emma is the saviour Adam just happened to exist alongside her. He may not have been left behind but he would not have been saved.

He clenches his fists and does what he always does when he tries not to think. He fights. He attacks. Punching the mirror repeatedly, allowing the pain to numb his thoughts as he focuses on it.

Forgetting the colour of his eyes, his hair, and the shape of his jaw.

He doesn't know how many times he hits the, now far from whole, mirror when he can't move. The feel of a slightly familiar yet unknown magic envelops him, freezing him in place. He's stunned for a second before realising it must be Regina, back from her crusade to make Henry to love her. He struggles before letting out a broken breath and calms down.

When the magic releases, he falls to his knees and squeezes his eyes shut tight as he focuses on his breathing. Regina kneels in front of him and takes his bloody hand in her left hand before she sends healing magic out of her right that is hovering gently over his knuckles.

"Why did you decide to attack my mirror, dear?"

"It called me a momma's boy."

Regina looks at him as if he's grown two head, her mouth falls open slightly as she lets go of his hand and stands up.

Adam lets out a dry, humourless chuckle before adding, "It was a joke, you can breathe."

She takes a step back and clears her throat when she realises how close he is when he stands up.

"So?" She looks at him expectantly.

"So, what?"

"My mirror?" Regina asks with a quirk of an eyebrow, lifting her chin in the direction of the mess.

Adam looks at it before waving his hand and watches as his magic joins the broken shards of glass back together onto the wall, removing the blood as they went letting it run down the drain of the sink below it. The mirror looks as if nothing had happened.

"There, good as new," he says trying to move pass her in the small space of the bathroom.

"Why did you feel the need to in the first place?"

And he stops half way passed her staring her dead in the eye, unafraid of her past, and say, "Because I look like them and it was pissing me off," and walking off.

"And destroying my mirror made you look less like them?" She calls over her shoulder feeling the need to have the last word.

Regina has seen that look before. She knows it well. It had stared back at her in the mirror in the months leading up to the curse being cast. She heard what he'd said to Snow 'when you beg for death again it will be because you have nothing left to live for' that could involve Henry and she can't let that happen.

* * *

Regina stands in front of the door and hesitates momentarily before deciding this needs to be done and knocks. Emma opens the door stunned into silence briefly before closing the door slightly and blocking the way with her body.

"You're ever here to see Henry or to hurt Mary-Margret and I won't let you do either. You should leave."

"While I would love to see my son, he is not why I'm here," says though clenched teeth. She is here to help so she needs to breathe and resist the urge to fireball the insufferable blonde.

"Then why?" Emma asks creasing her brow.

"Adam is…" Regina unclenches her jaw and sighs, almost looking nervous for a second before continuing, "Adam is dangerous and needs to be stopped before he hurts someone. Before he hurts Henry."

Emma just stares at her, mouth falling open slightly, before moving out of the way to let her pass.

"Henry's in bed so keep your voice low," she says as Regina composes herself and steps passed, looking as regal as ever.

 **AN: This is probably my least favourite chapter. Nothing really happens I just felt the need to post a chapter.**


	12. Chapter 12

**AN: Sorry it's taken so long but the reviews are really motivating I just haven't had the time, sleep is apparently a thing that people need to do (who knew, hey?). And, again, I did very little editing of this chapter so if there are any big mistakes that make it hard to read please tell me and I'll try to fix them.**

 **Author's rant: I've been sooo fucking busy over the last month (damn, I didn't realise it'd been that long). I had to develop an app (which was fun but long), write two 3,000 word reports and I still need to finishes making a game, write a 6,000 word dissertation, a 3,500 report, and revise for three exams before the 20th. *sighs* However, I needed a break after basically finishing one of my modules today (woow) so here's a chapter :)**

* * *

 _Adam isn't sure how long he's been down here. He isn't sure he cares. He's been in a strange blur of nothingness since leaving his parents castle. He doesn't fight when some of Cora's soldiers find him on his way back or when they knock him out. He doesn't fight when he wake up in enchanted chains in the basement of the mills mansion that'd been converted into a dungeon before his memory starts._

 _He doesn't avoid Cora's gaze as he normally does._

 _She stands in the doorway of his cell. Just watching him. Not saying a word. She can sense something's different, wrong even. The way he's looking at her, dead in the eye. No avoidance. His green eyes seem darker yet brighter somehow, as if a weight has been lifted only to be instantly replaced by a newer, heavier one. He doesn't seem to have slight shift yet, though._

 _The lack of fear is troubling her. She's spent years trying to shape him into to something she'd always hoped Regina would be, obedient. And while she definitely had been in her younger years, love had given her a strength that Cora could never seem to break. Even crushing the boys heart had only managed to create a void between mother and daughter._

 _Adam was different to Regina, though; there was no one around to love him._

 _That being said, she gave him fake love throughout his childhood hoping he would crave her affection and attention. She gradually became more and more strict with him, twisting him into something far from what he had been as a child and what his parents are. She's broken him, physically and mentally, on multiple occasions in fact, remoulding him every time he even slightly disobeyed her law._

 _But here he is not backing down._

 _Something has definitely changed._

 _And then an idea hits her and his behaviour starts to make sense. Her hand reaches out resting the tips of her fingers over his heart before slowly and painfully reaching in to rip out his heart._

 _She lets a dry chuckle as no light magic stops her path and inspects the blackened heart. "I finally get to have your heart in the palm of my hand only for it to be useless to me."_

 _He is broken far beyond what she could have possible done to him._

* * *

The lingering sensation of the memory begins to fade from his thoughts as his consciousness comes back into control. He remains still for a moment trying to shake away the persistent physical memory of the cold metal encasing his wrists until he realises he's fully awake.

His eyes snap open as his ears pick up the slight rattle of metal and his focus is drawn to the enchanted handcuffs attached securely to both his wrists. The faces of a sympathetic Snow, a sad David, a confident yet unsure Emma, and a mask of apathy Regina is using to hide her uncomfortable shifting look down at him.

Adam tries to conjure his magic but it won't respond. The cuffs are blocking his magic, the design scarily similar to that of Cora's. Instead, he looks passed them trying to gauge his location but the room they're in is completely foreign to him. The walls are a plain white with a single small window set high in the wall opposite to the one with a heavy looking door in it. Regina must have helped them essentially kidnap him while he was sleeping because the last thing he remembers is falling asleep in his allocated guest room at the mansion. He should have noticed her reluctance to have him there at her instance on continuing to call it a guest room instead of his.

"Where-" Adam tries to ask but his body is groggy, the feeling of Regina's relentless magic still coursing through him. She must have kept him asleep while they trapped him; he's usually a very light sleeper, you have to be when most of the people that surround you want to kill you.

"Somewhere we can help you… Where you can't hurt anyone else," Mary Margaret answers while kneeling down in front of his still prone body on the uncomfortable bed.

"Why?" his gaze turning to Regina.

"Because she realised what you want is wrong and doesn't want you to hurt Henry to do it," Emma replies with force after the brunette doesn't.

Adam ignores his sister and continues to stare at the proud woman who schools her features before returning his gaze, still remaining silent.

"I made you a promise," her eyes widen slightly. "I do not break my promises," he smirks at Snow who stands up and backs away. "So," he says slowly pushing himself up to lean on the wall the bed is against, "What's the plan? Lock me up until I obey you? Because it feels vaguely familiar," the sarcasm dripping from each word not failing to escape the recognition of the four looking down at him.

None of them really has a plan. Snow had tried to reassure them that just being able to talk with someone about all he's been through would help him. The father and daughter had exchanged a look trying to think of a way to gently let the raven haired woman down while Regina had just snorted out a short, dry laugh and called her an idiot.

Snow needs to help her son. She needs to fix whatever wrong has been done to him while she wasn't there to protect him. She needs to make him feel loved.

* * *

 **AN: Anyone guess why Adam's heart is useless to Cora? I feel like it's kinda obvious but that might be cos it's been in my head for so long :) Hope you enjoyed this short chapter!**

 **So here's Adam's age during each flashback in case anyone else wants to know.**

 **Ch3: 26**

 **Ch4: 17**

 **Ch8: 18**

 **Ch10: 6**

 **Ch12: 17 (right after chapter 4)**


	13. Chapter 13

**AN: All small reports done. All exams done. Now I just need to finish my dissertation.**

 **Anyway, sorry this is just a short chapter of Adam and Snow having a chat. The next two chapters will probably be similar (I wanted it all to be in one but I also wanted to upload something). I'm thinking about Emma and Henry getting to say something in the next chapters. They really haven't had much to do and you guys seem to have problems with both of them so I want to redeem them. If there's anything that you think will improve their characters' or if you think the next two chapter ideas' are boring review or PM me. I love reading what you guys think, good or bad.**

* * *

Snow asked the others to leave his cell about 10 minutes ago. It took 5 of those minutes for them to actually agree to leave and then another 5 for either mother or son to say something.

"Tell me about your life," Mary Margaret says, unable to take her son staring at her blankly anymore. "Your real life. No lying this time."

"Why?" he asks, giving her a confused chuckle. "Because I can tell you this, Snow, you cannot fix it. You cannot fix me."

"You're not broken," she states as if she's more sure of it then the ground beneath her feet.

Adam lets out a sharp laugh. "You have me locked up," he lifts his hands and clinks his chains for emphasis, "Gods know where so I won't hurt my family and you don't think I'm broken?"

"Adam, please, I need to know what you went through."

He sighs, "Why bother? The others seem content to just let me rot here. Where is 'here' anyway?" he asks trying to get more information about where he is. One of the most important things to know about when facing an enemy is your surroundings. They can be used against your foe in a way they never thought. Adam has won a fight or two because some idiots never think they're going to trip over a tree root.

"We're under the hospital." _Under the hospital, huh?_ Well he already knows how to get out of the hospital, that's one less thing he has to worry about. "And we all want to help you. You're family, Adam, we love you."

A harsh bark of laughter escapes his lungs making Mary Margaret jump slightly and he rubs the spot over his heart. "You do not love someone because they are family. Just look at Cora." He shakes his head. "But then again what do I know of family… or love."

"You're heart really is in your chest, isn't it?"

He nods his head, "As black as night. Don't worry you'll catch up soon."

There's silence for a while. Snow continues to think of ways to get through to her son. She wishes he didn't have to be locked-up down here. It would be so much easier to show him he can be better than just telling him. Regina only started coming around when she was able to do good not just told she could. She thinks about how much Henry is helping in her change. Even while he constantly fought her, Regina has someone who wants… needs her to be good. She doesn't understand how Adam can't see that his family wants him, that they're there for him. Although she sees how Emma and David look at him, as if they need their guard up around him, she doesn't think that Adam would truly hurt them. She won't let herself.

While Snow seems to be lost in her own little world, Adam looks over at the desk sitting under the window, spotting several books placed on top. They think he's going to be down here long enough to read them. He scoffs internally, _good to know they have faith in a quick redemption_. He wonders about the items in the desk's draws. He doubts there's anything useful in there. While he would never express it aloud, he doesn't think his family is stupid enough to put anything worth his time in there. Although, he could be wrong he's sure Regina would have stopped them putting the door keys or a knife in there.

"Have you ever felt it?" Snow's sudden question snaps Adam thoughts back to the present, "Love?"

He opens his mouth about to lie and protect himself as he always does but look at where lying has gotten him, chained up in the basement of a hospital. What is it with Mills women and locking people up in basements?

"I thought I did… but looking back at it I think it was just a fucked up hope."

"Hope?"

"Hope that you would come for me." A sad smile appears on his face. _Can't break the happy façade completely_ , he thinks sardonically. "I'm ashamed it took me so long to realise that you weren't coming for me." His hand goes to his heart again, remembering the pain he felt in Emma's nursery a little over a decade ago.

"We didn't remember you."

"That doesn't stop the fact that I grew up thinking you left me to die."

Cora only told him about the curse a month or two before his visit to his family's castle. When he was a kid, he was so confused as to why his parents had left him. Why wouldn't they want him? The pirate had a few opinions that he constantly enjoyed sharing with the angry child. Cora would only reply with, 'why would anyone want you?', when he asked before going about whatever she was doing before being interrupted.

He didn't understand Cora's constant mood swings either. One minute she was teaching him; to read and write, magic, telling him stories, and then he would say something and she would just change. He would always do something wrong, so he started thinking he couldn't do anything right. That he was bad and when he embraced it… only then did things become fun.

After recovering from the revelation of Adam's anger, a tear still running down her face, Snow stands up from the chair that belongs to the desk and moves closer to the bed. Adam sees her intention to try to reassure him with physical contact.

"Don't," he says through clenched teeth, letting the darkness leak into his voice. The hand she has reached out to touch his knee snaps back to her stomach to be held by the other. "This isn't something that can be so easily fixed. You can't just tell me you love me, pat my knee, and expect everything to be fine."

"I… How do I fix it?"

He releases a heavy sigh. "Admitting something is broken is always a good start," he says faking his most sincere smile, the truth getting boring. Although cracking heads has always been his way of dealing with obstacles, lying is second nature to him. _I will get out of here one way or another_ , he thinks.


	14. Chapter 14

**AN: Okay, this took longer than I thought, really sorry. I've finished uni so I've had more time but we got a new puppy (Willow, a german shorthair pointer) that needs constant watching and I can't bring my PC downstairs and I hate typing on my phone.**

 **I also had to make an important choice about the next part of this story involving the missing year and where to put Adam. One leaves him, most likely, in a cell for a long period but getting closer to Regina. The other gets him closer to Emma and Henry and completely fucks him up mentally when the second curse gets broken. I think I'm gonna go with the latter but it'd be cool to hear peoples' opinions. (Although,** _ **spoiler I guess**_ _ **, something will happen with Regina anyway but keep in mind this isn't a romance this is about fucked up Adam and his fucked up family.**_ **)**

 **And I think I'm gonna skip Neverland, really can't be bothered with or think of anything to involve Adam in there unless they trust him which won't happen until later.**

* * *

Just under a week went by of him being bored out of his mind. He learnt that there was nothing useful in the desk draws. The books were relatively interesting but did little to quell the boredom, as he didn't understand most of what was happening in half of them since they were set in this world.

A world he had barely spent a week roaming.

Snow visited every day. Charming came the first two times, though it just seemed as though he was checking his wife was safe. After that, he came every over but only says 20 or 30 minutes when Snows there for hours. She must have begged him. He doesn't want to see his son like that. He's given up. He sees the anger in Adam's eyes, which is a stark contrast to the pain that Snow sees.

Adam had played nice the first week, holding his anger at bay, pretending to listen when Snow talked. But he couldn't and by the second week, he ignored or shouted at the petite woman who started visiting every other day and for less and less time.

Emma won't visit. She can't. She was having a hard enough time taking in the fact she had a brother, now he's… he's something she can't deal with at the moment. Mary Margaret asks her to join the visits, begs her to just listen to him even though he'd barely talked after the first time. She doesn't understand how hard it is for the blonde to trust people. And she was starting to form something with this man who was… is her brother. She was wary but she couldn't find a lie. She had seen the memory of him breaking apart in the castle interior and the only thoughts she had for him were of understanding, not 'he hates them' or 'he would kill them if he had a chance'. The truth. The 'them' being her parents. Their parents. She just can't.

But Henry can apparently.

And judging by the uniform and the backpack the kid hadn't made it school.

When the knock came at the door Adam instinctively moves his wrists closer together. He had learnt that when he was alone in his cell the chain connecting the metal cuffs would vanish. He'd also learnt that there's a set length for the chain, the first time anyone had come back into the room after him being alone he'd been laying on the bed, one hand behind his head and the other resting on his stomach, and before he could do anything the nurse was walking in and he'd almost gotten a black eye from his own hand.

"Your mothers are going to kill you if they find out you've come here. And then me."

"I won't tell it you don't."

"Deal," Adam nods as he sits up. "You know I'm in here because of you, right?"

"You're in here because you want to hurt our family."

"No, I'm having annoying 'chats' with Snow because I want to _kill_ our family. I'm _locked up_ because they think I will hurt you. Regina thinks I will hurt you."

"What?" he asks incredulously, his true age shining through in his whiny voice. "No, she's evil, why would she be helping the heroes?"

"Gods, you're annoying. There is no black and white when it comes to people. No good and evil. 'Good' people can do bad things." He looks at Henry and smiles. "I bet they haven't told you about Cora."

"Mu- Regina's mum?"

"You don't know much about her do you? What happened to her?"

"Emma says she bad and that she died."

"The story's not mine to tell but you need to ask your _mum_ about what she grew up with." He pulls the left sleeve of his shirt up revealing a couple of scars. "Not all of these are battle scars."

"Is that why you're evil?"

He sighs ignoring the need explain the grey areas again. "It's probably a factor," he says, tracing the most prominent scar on his wrist, a brand of his mother and father's crest Cora had given him to remember his place.

He releases a sigh before looking up into the boys eyes. "Snow killed her, Henry."

"What?"

"She cursed Cora's heart giving her life to Rumple. One 'evil' life to another. Does that sound like a hero to you?"

"You're lying."

And the boy ran out crying. _Huh_ , Adam thinks to himself with a smile, _I can ruin their lives even from in here_.

* * *

It doesn't take them long to show up. Emma, Regina, and David march in furious, Snow quiet and withdrawn.

"What did you do?" Emma almost shouts leaning into his space where he sits at the desk.

"I have done many things, you need to be specific."

"What did you say to Henry?"

"The truth," Adam states simply, gaze flicking to Snow's before turning back to the book he was reading.

Emma knocks the book out of his hands, grabs his collar, and pulls his chair away while pushing him up against the closest wall. She's had enough of him. She had tried to be his sister and he'd lied. She'd tried to ignore him and he hurts her son.

"If you ever go anywhere near him again-"

"Emma!" Snow finally speaks up but is ignored.

"He came here," he points out as if he Emma's hand wasn't unintentionally, or maybe intentionally, being pushed up against his airway with the other gripping his shirt. "And it's not like I hurt him."

A flash of anger passes through Emma's eyes. She pulls back her fist about to punch him when a thought occurs to her. The angle of her arm changes and she unclenches her hand before driving it into his chest. Everyone's eyes in the room go wide in surprise at what Emma is doing, either her magic capability or ethical choice. Emma is stuck somewhere between the two.

Her eyes move up to meet Adam's his surprise vanishes and is replaced with his infuriating smirk with only a hint of pain floating somewhere behind it's mask.

"Do it," he breathes out through gritted teeth.

Neither knew what they were doing anymore. All of Adam's plans have failed; he can't find a way out of his cell and one more heart to whatever he has with his mother will kill him. Something needs to change. And Emma…Emma has her hand wrapped around her brother's heart. She isn't even sure how it happened. She just wants to be able to stop him hurting people. _I can control him with his heart_ , she thinks.

One sharp tug and her hand is outside of his chest. She doesn't look down. Can't look down. But she can feel it pulsing lightly against her palm and the fingers wrapped a little too tightly around it. She hears gasps around her and an 'oh Adam' which surprisingly comes from Regina.

And she finally looks down.

Almost splitting the blackened heart in two is a crack where pure white light is shining.

"What?" she asks, turning to Regina, the one in the room most likely to have an answer.

"Interesting-" Adam starts.

"Shut up," Emma cuts him off, raising his heart giving him a command.

"My heart does not work like that," he smirk slipping slightly.

Emma turns back to Regina.

"What-"

"It's a broken heart, Swan," she sighs, moving closer. She's only seen a drawing of one in a book before. The description doesn't do it justice, well look wise it does but the magic emanating from break is almost uncomfortably painful. Just being in the same room is bothering her she couldn't imagine owning it.

"What like," Emma looks back down at it, anger leaving her being replaced by confusion, "Like 'he broke my heart' broken?"

"No," Regina resists the urge to fire ball her, "Like 'everything I've ever loved has been ripped away from me' broken."

"What does it mean for him?" Snow asks. Adam rolls his eyes at their incapacity to just ask him. He is standing in the same room albeit pushed up against one of its walls with Emma still gripping his shirt.

"It," Regina pauses to think about how to explain it. "It's similar to not having your heart in your chest. You can't feel love but unlike having your heart removed, you can't simply put it back in and feel it again. Your heart is where your pure emotions come from; love, true happiness… hope. They're all gone."


	15. Chapter 15

**AN: Hey.**

* * *

Regina's been pushed so far in her life but she'd always had just the tiniest bit of hope helping her through the bad times. Someone or something to fall back on. When her mother had murdered Daniel and married her off to Leopold, she'd had her daddy. When she'd used her father's heart to enact the curse, she'd had the hope of her happy ending and Snow's misery. When she'd realised it wasn't really what she wanted, she'd had Henry. Even now, with him barely talking to her she knows deep down that she still has him.

When Emma had called her over after Henry came running to her crying she'd poofed herself straight there. As soon as her son saw her, he'd moved to hug her. He hadn't even hesitated. And the way he looked at Snow nearly had an evil smirk breaking through her soft, motherly smile.

He sniffled with his head buried in her coat. He asked to talk about her childhood and Cora. She'd looked up at Emma for some reason feeling the need to ask permission. The blonde had given a small nod as she actually smiled at the pair before Regina promised to cook dinner for him and discuss whatever he wanted. 'No lies?' he'd asked, 'No lies,' she'd promised.

Adam has had no one.

He'd had a weird sense of duty to Cora but when she'd been abusing him, based on the mumbled words she'd gotten from Henry early, he'd been completely alone.

No one deserves that.

And right there and then she decides that she is going to help fix this. It is partially her fault. _Why does that hurt so much?_ she ponders.

Adam watches as Regina reaches out for his heart but stops herself halfway and turns to him. _Is she asking permission to take my heart?_ he asks himself. He's frozen for a moment. He's never had anyone ask to take his heart. After it had been broken, Cora was able to take it whenever she'd pleased forcing him to do things even he was uncomfortable with at the threat of having it crushed. He blinks away the cries of children ringing around his head before he nods to the second person he never would have guessed to actually ask for his heart. And she takes it, gently.

His eyes narrow when a small bit of white light is covered over by a scar.

The break becoming just a fraction smaller.

 _What the-_

His thoughts are cut off when Snow is the first to speak, finally looking away from the heart and meeting Regina's eyes. "Is there anything we can do? Can a broken heart be fixed?" She isn't sure why she's trusting Regina to help but if Adam trusts her with his heart why shouldn't she have hope she can help. She can always ask Blue for a second opinion later.

"The magic miracle cure-all, of course," Adam answers, getting frustrated by not understanding what had just happened that no one else seems to have seen. Granted, they are on the opposite side of the heart to him.

Regina sighs as confusion spreads across the three moron's faces. "True Love," she clarifies before any of them can ask. "But I did read in one of Rumple's books, back before the curse, that any act of love can help heal it."

"Enough," Adam shouts, startling everyone in the room giving him a chance to push Emma's arm away before moving behind her at speeds surprising those watching. He drapes the chains connecting his metal, magic suppressing cuffs around her neck before pulling tight. David moves towards but stops from the look in his son's eyes as they lock with his. "Come any closer and I snap her neck."

Emma chokes at the force briefly and Adam lets it slack a little when the others back away.

She'd been avoiding coming to this cell. Avoiding her brother at all costs. She was even going to dodge coming here now. Regina was defiantly angry enough to deal with him correctly without needing her here. But then she'd listened to what Henry had said about Cora and her thoughts went back to when she'd used the dream catcher to find out more information on her mysterious brother. The light had been dull and her view of his back half blocked by covers so she wasn't sure at first what she'd seen but it had clicked then.

Scars.

Uniformed scars.

Not the ones Mary Margaret had told her about, random sizes and placements from fighting. These were planned and inflicted to purely cause pain, not kill. After actually thinking about it, they looked like whip marks.

Emma struggles in his grip before realising it was useless. Talking him down might be the only way. Now she really wishes she had accepted her mother's invitation to join her visits with him because knowing more about him, actual facts and not the lies he'd told her before the truth came out, would have been very helpful right about now.

"How did it happen?" she asks, latching onto the first thought she has.

"What?" Adam asks surprised, he thought she would have yelled at him to let her go.

"Your heart, how did it break?"

"I've already shown you how. Don't you remember?"

Her brows crease until realisation blooms on her face and her eyes widen. "My nursery, in the Enchanted Forest…"

"I had finally realised that they weren't coming back for me. They were going to have their perfect little princess when she broke the curse. Their saviour." Even out of his chest, he felt his heart tighten at the memory of the intense pain.

"They couldn't."

"I know that now. I guess I have no real reason to hate them, not compared to you, but it's still fun. Hate is better than nothing, is it not? Plus, they are quite annoying." He swears he saw an understanding look from the queen carefully holding his heart. Why she hasn't squeezed it a little yet to make him let go he isn't sure.

"What do you mean compared to me?"

"They left me alone to die, yes, but they didn't really have a say in the matter. They _actively_ sent you away."

"To give me my best chance," she says, her voice wavering slightly. She tries to chalk it up to the pressure on her throat but she can't lie to herself. Deep down, she resented her parents for their decision.

"You cannot really believe that bullshit. You were a baby and they sent you to another world. Alone." He isn't sure why that fact made him so mad.

"I wasn't alone. August was there," Emma protests weakly, grasping at straws.

"They didn't know that. Where did you end up, huh? If he hadn't been there they would have sent you to your death, right?"

"We did it to protect her from the curse," Charming says, puffing out his chest. They had thought of solutions to their problem and they'd picked what they thought to be the best one all round. Their way, Blue's idea, allowed Emma to get away safely and come back for them.

"No, you did it so that I could save you from it," Emma shouts making Adam smirk like a proud little brother as he loosens the chain's pressure on his sister's neck.

"They're worse than villains. At least we're honest about the bad we do," he whispers into her ear but still loud enough in the quiet room to be heard by the others. "They hide behind their hope speeches about the greater good." His eyes narrow and lock with his mother's. "How is sending a baby gods know where alone any better than casting the Dark Curse?"

* * *

 **AN: Microsoft Word wanted to change "happy ending" to "successful conclusion." Made me laugh.  
** **Not much happened in this chapter but I promise you something big will in the next one.**


	16. Chapter 16

**AN: How you all doing?**

 **I was having major writer's block on how to get to the next part of the story and what to do about Netherland, and I think I have a solution so here you go. Hope you enjoy.**

* * *

There's silence for several moments as everyone takes in Adam's words. Emma watches everyone take in the information. Snow holds back tears. David's face scrunching up in thought no doubt trying to find another excuse to prove he is the hero he thinks he is. Regina's intense eyes watch Adam, trying to find a lie. But, all Emma can think about is a way to undo the damage she's just caused to her, already shaky, relationship with her parents.

"Let me go." Emma suddenly breaks the silence.

"Let _me_ go!" Adam retorts. "Take the cuffs off and open the door and I won't snap your neck."

"I don't think you would," she says trying to look at him over her shoulder. Emma knows he's dangerous but he hasn't killed a family member yet and he's had plenty of opportunities.

"Want to bet?"

Emma opens her mouth again but, out of the corner of her eye, she sees David move. He lunges for Adam's heart and snatches it out of Regina's hand before she can even think about doing anything. David starts squeezing the black, broken heart as soon as it's in his grasp, making sure not to crush it, though.

The chains slacken around her neck even more but not enough for her to slip out. She hears a harsh breath as Adam's body tries to double over before he can fully stop the motion. With effort, he manages to stay upright and grits his teeth against the pain radiating through his chest.

Adam lets out a sharp laugh through gritted teeth. "I'm too familiar with the pain, Charming."

Emma uses the distraction to her benefit and launches her head back. The cracking noise is sickening but the chain loosens even more and leaves enough room for her to throw it over her head. She practically jumps to safety on the other side of the cell and turns just in time to see Adam finish stumbling back, both hands cupping his nose to try and stop the bleeding.

Mary Margaret rips Adam's heart out of David's hand and cradles it to her chest in a vain effort to protect her son that seemed to have no need or want for her too. Emma's sure she would have run over to him and tried to help stem the flow from his almost certainly broken nose if David hadn't pre-emptively taken hold of her upper arm.

There's an eerie silence as everyone watches Adam move his bloodied hands before his face. His eyes follow the trails of red as they flow down his palms to his wrists. His short, wild laugh breaks the stillness as he positions his pointers and middle fingers on either side of the bridge of his nose. Emma winces at the swift movement and resulting crunch as he fixes its unnatural angle.

"Nice escape." Adam shakes his head before using the bottom of his shirt to clean his face. "It hinged too much on someone else's random help for a distraction, but… not bad." He wipes his lips and chin one last time and sniffs with a smirk. "Try and avoid the face next time?"

"Maybe we should just leave and come back when everyone's calm." Emma trails her eyes over her brother's form, lingering on the blood. "We'll send someone to check your nose."

"I'll heal it," Regina says calmly, making the Emma jump. She'd forgotten the older woman was there. "It's already starting to bruise."

"Are you-"

"It's most likely very painful."

"Okay. We–"

"Emma–" David says like he's about to argue but Emma cuts him off with a raise of her hand.

"We should get back to Henry," she firmly states, and David nods before ushering Mary Margaret out of the room.

"My heart?..."

"I think we should keep it, just in case," David says with a frown.

Adam rolls his eyes and plops himself down on his bed looking very much like a petulant teenager.

"Once you're done here," Emma turns to Regina, "We can talk about that dinner you want with Henry."

Regina's eyes widen slightly. "Really?"

Emma's sure Regina would have found a way to have dinner with Henry even if she didn't agree to it but she doesn't feel like it's her place to forbid it. She wants to keep Henry safe, but so does Regina. The way she'd reacted to this whole mess with Adam had proven that.

"When he was upset earlier, he only wanted you. You're his mother, Regina, and he loves you." Emma takes a deep breath. Ducking her head briefly, she stuffs her hands into her back pockets when she sees the beginning of tears appear in the brunette's eyes. "And no matter what you think, I never came here with the intention of taking him from you. I just want him safe and happy."

Emma gives a sharp nod as if agreeing with her own words and turns before Regina can even take in her little speech. She opens the door and throws, "I trust you not to kill each other," over her shoulder as she closes it behind her.

* * *

They both seem to stare at the door of several moments both realising their current situation. Adam watches as Regina tries to discreetly dry her eyes before setting her jaw and turning to him.

"What did you say to Henry?"

He smirks and opens his mouth but is cut off when she sharply raises her hand.

"And do not lie. I want to know exactly what you said and why he was here."

Adam chuckles and nods his head. "Okay, no lying. I can do that but you're going to have to ask him why he came here, he never told me."

"Why did he leave crying?"

"I just told him the truth." Regina raises an eyebrow. He sighs. "That Cora wasn't always the best mother." He held up his hands, palms out when she opens her mouth. "I gave no details. That's for you to do. The boy only wants the truth."

"What else?" Her hand moves over her stomach for protection.

Adam grinned at the memory of Snow's almost hopeless eyes and withdrawn demeanour as she entered the cell.

"I told him Snow killed Cora."

Regina pauses for a moment before walking closer to where he's still sat on the edge of the bed. She holds her hand over his face and a purple cloud forms around his nose. He lets out a sigh as the pressure is released and the pain fades. She steps back and lets her arm drop to her side. He works his jaw and feels along the bridge of his nose to test her handiwork before looking up at her.

"Thank you," he says as she leaves without responding.

His head turns as his eyes follow her out.

* * *

Adam is sitting at the desk reading again the next time the door opens. He doesn't even turn.

"So, they _are_ keeping you down here."

Adam finally turns at the unfamiliar voice. Standing in front of the closed door is a grinning boy around Henry's age (although, Adam has never been good at guessing children's ages so he could be wrong) wearing, what can only be described as, dark green rags with a leather belt and cuffs. The boy's head is held high with a mix of entitlement and smugness.

Adam sighs. "And, who might you be, big ears?"

The boy's grin falters for a millisecond and something dark flashes in his eyes before his confidence is back in full force and he bows, swinging his arm round wide before it meets his middle.

"Peter Pan." He stands up straight, teeth showing as the corners of his lips pull up further. "It's a pleasure to finally meet you, Adam White."

* * *

 **AN: In the last chapter, I mentioned that Cora controlled Adam's heart. What I meant by that was she had threatened to crush it. Though, I'm sure none of you remembers it was so long ago but I felt the need to mention and change it.**


End file.
